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The WIFE 

of the SECRETARY 

of STATE 





ELLA MIDDLETON TYBOUT 



THE WIFE 

of the 

SECRETARY OF STATE 



SECOND EDITION 



By the Same Author 

POKETOWN PEOPLE 

With illustrations by 
FRANK VKRBECK and BEULAH S. 

MOORE 
Cloth, $1.50 

" Few sketches so true to the 
negro's whimsical side, so stamped 
with his drollery, so illuminative of 
the operations of bis superstitious 
mind, and withal so abounding in 
good-humor and inoffensive fun 
have found their way into print of 
recent years." Chicago Evening 
Post 




THE STORY OF THE KHEDIVE'S OPALS 



THE WIFE 

of the 
SECRETARY OF STATE 



BY 

ELLA 

MIDDLETON 
TYBOUT 

AUTHOR OP " POKETOWN PEOPLE* 




PHILADELPHIA AND LONDON 

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 

1906 



COPYRIGHT, 1905 
BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 



Published October, 1905 



Electrotypcd and Printed by 
J. B. Uppincott Company, Philadelphia, U. S. A. 



TO 

MY MOTHER 



2138500 



INTRODUCTION 



" The Wife of the Secretary of State" is constructed 
upon the possibilities of life in general and of the diplo- 
matic world in particular. It is not intended to portray 
any especial administration. 

ELLA MIDDLETON TYBOUT. 



THE WIFE 

of the 

SECRETARY OF STATE 

i 

" IT needs," said the Senator critically, " a trifle 
more red pepper." 

" But pray be careful," added Monsieur du Pre anx- 
iously, " a grain too much would be fatal. Ah! 
Gently very gently." 

Are you familiar enough with Washington to know 
the Alibi Club? Perhaps, in walking down I Street, 
near Eighteenth, you have passed the little, red-brick 
house with its black iron railing and many-paned win- 
dows without even glancing at the shining brass plate 
where the one word "Alibi" speaks volumes to the in- 
itiated. But then, again, perhaps you have penetrated 
through the narrow doorway into the grill-rooms 
beyond ; perhaps you have been introduced to the army 
of chafing-dishes which do such untiring and valiant 
nightly service during the season, and have even tasted 
the contents of some of them. If so, you are very fortu- 
nate, and further comment is unnecessary. 

Senator Byrd was giving a little supper after the 
theatre, and, in accordance with the rules of the club, 
he was cooking it himself. His three guests wore an 

11 



12 THE WIFE OF 

air of pleased anticipation, for his skill in the manipula- 
tion of the chafing-dish made him an acknowledged 
authority, even at the Alibi, where the bon vivants of 
Washington are wont to assemble for nightly gastro- 
nomic contests. 

Senator Byrd was a leader of his party, and his opin- 
ions were accorded due deference even by the opposition, 
but no political crisis received closer attention from him 
than a Welsh-rarebit which threatened to become stringy 
or a mayonnaise which showed a disposition to separate 
into unattractire oily globules. 

Monsieur du Pre watched the descent of the red 
pepper breathlessly, and gave vent to a sigh of relief 
as the crucial moment passed safely. 

" By the way," he remarked, addressing no one in 
particular, " did you observe Miss Powell to-night? She 
really should not wear green, under the circumstances. ' ' 

" Why not?" inquired Mr. Rivers, Member of Con- 
gress from Virginia, idly. 

" Because of the old adage," replied the little Attache 
with a chuckle, " ' green is forsaken, yellow's forlorn' 
you remember it? After her affair with von Wertman 
she should be careful about those little things." 

Monsieur du Pre enjoyed the reputation of being the 
most insatiable as well as the most harmless gossip in 
Washington; he was also endowed with an inordinate 
curiosity indeed, his acquaintances regarded him as a 
walking interrogation-point, and were wont to assert that 
his mustache curled upward solely to investigate the 
shape of his nose, while that appendage, in turn, was 
continually striving to ascertain the color of his eyes. 

" Was von Wertman 's engagement really such a blow 
to Miss Powell?" said Mr. Rivers curiously. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 13 

" Oh my dear fellow," returned the Frenchman 
eagerly, ' ' did you not know ? The poor lady ! She had 
every reason to hope. He sought her constantly; bon- 
bons, roses, and all the delicate environments of an 
affaire de cceur were hers for many weeks. She, herself, 
bloomed like a flower; grew young again yes, posi- 
tively girlish. Then, suddenly, what happened? Mrs. 
Irving announced the engagement of her daughter to 
Baron von Wertman of the German Embassy. Conceive 
the shock." 

" Very shabby in von Wertman," said Mr. Rivers, 
laughing. 

' ' And then, ' ' continued Monsieur du Pre pathetically, 
" the flower drooped; the girl grew all at once old and 
ugly. Is it not pitiful? I have watched her closely 
most respectfully, of course, but closely. Day by day 
she has faded, until " 

'* Upon my word," interrupted Senator Byrd, " I 
feel as though I had attended her obsequies. Will she 
be a second Elaine, du Pre, and go floating down the 
Potomac some fine day ? ' ' 

"As I said," continued Monsieur du Pre volubly, " I 
watched her fade until at last I saw a subtle change. She 
revived. She lived once more. By a never-failing sign 
she now demonstrates her intention to cast aside the 
willow she again powders her nose." 

Senator Byrd turned to the man on his right as the 
laugh which followed Monsieur du Pre's last remark 
died away. 

" Count Valdmir," he said courteously, " I hope you 
like terrapin; these are especially fine diamond-backs, 
and I particularly plume myself upon my recipe for 
cooking them. They are a distinctively American food, 



14 THE WIFE OF 

I believe, therefore I have asked my friends from other 
countries to eat them. I was fortunate to secure you at 
such short notice." 

" The good fortune is wholly mine," replied the 
Count politely. 

Although he had but lately joined the Russian Em- 
bassy, Count Valdmir was already a popular member 
of the Diplomatic Corps and greatly in demand at all 
social functions. More than one damsel was known to 
watch ballroom doorways anxiously until he appeared, 
and he was pronounced, 

" So polished, my dear, so fascinatingly indifferent, 
and so irresistibly handsome, don't you know." 

Count Valdmir 's polish suggested the flash of steel to 
his associates in the world of diplomacy, and his hand- 
some face did not disguise the fact that his eyes, set 
very close together, were stone gray in color and curi- 
ously keen and cold in expression. It was well known 
by the initiated that when an international crisis ap- 
peared inevitable, his duty generally called him to the 
seat of the trouble and detained him there until mat- 
ters adjusted themselves. Therefore his sudden ap- 
pearance in Washington was regarded as worthy of 
comment. 

"Ah," exclaimed Monsieur du Pre as he tasted the 
terrapin, ' ' is it not a dream a poem ? Confess, Count 
Valdmir, you have nothing in your country which com- 
pares with it." 

' ' In many ways, ' ' said Count Valdmir slowly, ' ' Rus- 
sia cannot aspire to compete with America in its 
women, for example." 

" You are complimentary, Count," said Senator 
Byrd quietly; " as a nation we should feel flattered." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 15 

Monsieur du Pre raised his glass. 

" To the American girl in general," he cried enthu- 
siastically, ' ' but especially to the most charming woman 
in Washington Mrs. Redmond, gentlemen, Mrs. Red- 
mond. ' ' 

11 To Mrs. Redmond," repeated Count Valdmir as 
they responded to the toast, " by all means. To Mrs. 
Redmond, the wife of the Secretary of State." 

He drained his glass absently and replaced it upon 
the edge of the table, where it balanced for a moment 
and fell to the floor. 

"A thousand pardons!" he exclaimed contritely. " I 
am stupid to-night ; I fear it is broken. ' ' 

" It perished in a good cause," said Mr. Rivers 
lightly. " I was more than half disposed to send mine 
after it." 

" Yes, did it not?" said Monsieur du Pre. "I too 
had the same inclination. All women are, of course, 
attractive in some way, some one feature, for instance, 
but Mrs. Redmond is so altogether lovely " 

He paused in doubt for the proper word and waved 
his empty glass comprehensively. 

An even greater air of festivity than usual prevailed 
in the grill-rooms. Jolly little parties of three and four 
filled the tables and tried their skill in cooking as they 
matched stories ; laughter was genuine and spontaneous, 
for wit sparkled as brightly as the champagne and the 
stories were as highly seasoned as the food. Whatever 
sensations one might experience at the Alibi, one was 
rarely bored. 

The quick trot of a horse and the sound of swiftly 
rolling wheels became audible above the general hum 
of conversation; their sudden cessation and the hasty 



16 THE WIFE OF 

slam of a carriage-door announced the arrival of a 
belated guest. 

" Yes," said Mr. Rivers discursively, " almost every- 
one comes here sooner or later. Over there in the corner, 
making Welsh-rarebit, is Judge Tucker of the Supreme 
Court ; that little man cooking lobster a la Newberg is 
the editor of the Washington Post; that is the Speaker 
of the House dispensing mushrooms, and 

''And," interrupted Monsieur du Pre suddenly, 
" here comes the Secretary of State." 

Senator Byrd exchanged a quick glance with Mr. 
Rivers. The Secretary did not, as a rule, frequent the 
Alibi. Moreover, as they both knew, he had been en- 
gaged to dine at the White House that evening, and it 
was his invariable custom to go directly home from all 
dinners, no matter how early their conclusion, and the 
night had now grown very old indeed. 

"As I was saying," resumed Mr. Rivers, addressing 
Count Valdmir, " everyone drifts in here at one time or 
another. ' ' 

" Yes?" said the Russian politely. 

The Secretary of State stood in the doorway and 
glanced anxiously about the room. His tall, spare figure 
had a commanding air in spite of the droop of his 
shoulders, which proclaimed the scholar rather than the 
politician, while his long, slender hands betrayed his 
peculiarly nervous organization. They were very rest- 
less hands, continually busy over something, even though 
it were only tearing bits of paper into strips or folding 
creases in his handkerchief. Just now, however, they 
were so tightly clinched that the knuckles looked white 
and prominent and the veins stood out like purple cords. 

Senator Byrd laid down his fork. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 17 

" If you will excuse me," he remarked hastily, " I 
will go and speak to the Secretary ; perhaps I can induce 
him to join us." 

He threaded his way across the room, and the three 
men watched him silently. They observed the Secre- 
tary's relieved start and his quick remark, evidently an 
interrogation; also Senator Byrd's emphatic reply, ap- 
parently in the negative; and then they saw the Secre- 
tary speak earnestly for a moment and withdraw. 

A sudden quiet had descended upon the Alibi. Here 
and there parties were dispersing, leaving empty tables 
with their usual unattractive debris in place of the 
glitter of plate and glass and the cheerful murmur of 
voices of an hour previous. Monsieur du Pre looked 
at his watch. 

" So late!" he exclaimed in astonishment. " I too 
must be going." 

He glanced expectantly at Count Valdmir, who also 
expressed surprise at the hour, and as Senator Byrd re- 
turned the two Attaches rose and, in spite of his protes- 
tations, took their leave. Mr. Rivers was about to join 
them, but delayed a moment in response to a slight 
touch upon his shoulder. 

" The Secretary is outside in his carriage," said 
Senator Byrd quickly; " he wishes us to go home with 
him. There is something wrong at the Department. ' ' 

The Secretary's coachman complied willingly with 
the brief command, " Home; drive quickly!" and de- 
posited his passengers beneath the porte-cochere of a 
handsome stone house in short order. Secretary Red- 
mond led the way at once to the library, where the fire 
still glowed red and inviting, while carefully shaded 
lamps cast a soft light very pleasing to the eye. 

2 



18 THE WIFE OF 

" Gentlemen," he said abruptly as he closed the door, 
" the Roostchook papers have been stolen." 

" Let us discuss the matter in all its bearings," sug- 
gested Senator Byrd, breaking the long pause which 
succeeded the Secretary's announcement; " there may 
be some mistake." 

" There is no mistake," returned Mr. Redmond posi- 
tively ; ' ' yesterday I took them to the White House and 
went over the matter with the President. You were both 
present at the interview. ' ' 

Mr. Rivers nodded. 

" Well?" he said interrogatively. 

" To-day at Cabinet meeting," resumed the Secre- 
tary, " the subject came up again and I made an ap- 
pointment with the President for to-morrow; I was to 
take over the papers once more, also the plans of the 
outer defences of New York Harbor. I borrowed the 
latter from the Secretary of War; he sent them to my 
office by a messenger and my private secretary received 
and receipted for them. They were given in great detail. 
To-night I dined at the White House informally and 
the President again referred to the matter; it is, of 
course, uppermost in his mind just now. I volunteered 
to get all the papers from the Department without wait- 
ing for to-morrow. The safe was locked, as usual, also 
my desk. The papers were gone." 

Somewhere outside a man whistled shrilly and a dog 
responded with a quick yelp of recognition. 

" When I found them gone," resumed the Secretary 
slowly, ' ' I remembered that you had called, Byrd, while 
I was absent this afternoon. I thought you might have 
borrowed them. It was not probable, of course, but it 
was possible." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 19 

' ' Not even possible, ' ' interrupted Senator Byrd. 

" So I followed you to the Alibi," continued the Sec- 
retary; " the importance of the matter is my excuse. 
An international upheaval is imminent. France, Eng- 
land, and Russia are vitally interested in our policy; 
a representative of each of those countries has called at 
the Department to-day on one pretext or another. ' ' 

The Secretary paused and moistened his lips; his 
fingers tapped the arm of his chair uneasily. 

" You have the facts of the case," he said wearily; 
" the Roostchook papers are missing, and with them the 
plan of defence of our principal seaport." 

An hour later the Senator and Member of Congress 
stood on the street corner and exchanged a few words 
before they separated. Over the city hung the mantle 
of intense silence which descends about three o'clock and 
remains until the break of day. The moon was setting, 
shining red and crooked through the fog, a piece lacking 
from one side proclaiming it was on the wane; it ap- 
peared somewhat as though the moon had made a night 
of it and would better retire as speedily as possible. 

Mr. Rivers shivered and turned up his coat-collar, for 
the wind was cold and penetrating. 

' ' It looks, ' ' he remarked as he lighted his cigar, ' ' un- 
commonly black for the private secretary." 

" I do not agree with you," returned Senator Byrd 
thoughtfully, " but, then, one never knows. Good- 
night." 

And the two men walked quickly away in opposite 
directions. 

The Secretary of State leaned his head against the 
back of his chair and closed his eyes. His face was gray 
with fatigue, and the lines about his mouth pronounced 



20 THE WIFE OF 

and accentuated. He was undoubtedly very tired so 
tired he did not hear the handle of the door turn softly, 
as though in response to a light touch; nor did he see 
it swing noiselessly open and a figure pause upon the 
threshold. 

A woman. 

She stood uncertainly for a moment, one hand upon 
the knob of the door while the other held together a 
white dressing-gown whose soft, clinging folds empha- 
sized rather than concealed a form which would have 
given a sculptor keen delight. Her thick, dark hair, 
simply braided for the night, hung far below her waist, 
while little tendrils curled loosely about her ears and 
across her forehead. Pier eyes possessed the rare quality 
of changing with her moods ; just now they were widely 
opened under their black lashes and deeply purple, like 
the lustrous heart of a pansy, and her breath came 
quickly between softly parted red lips. 

A woman to remember ! 

She crossed the room swiftly, her slippered feet 
making no sound upon the thick rug, and put her hand 
tentatively upon the Secretary's forehead. 

" Estelle!" he exclaimed, suddenly opening his eyes. 
"You here?" 

" Oh," she returned, with a little laugh which was 
half a sob, " I couldn't help coming, John. I thought 
something dreadful had happened." 

' ' What could happen to me, here in my own house ? ' ' 

" I don't know," she replied slowly; " one reads of 
terrible things. I lay there listening for your footstep 
and imagining I might never hear it again, until at 
last 

" Why, you are cold and trembling, Estelle," inter- 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 21 

rupted the Secretary, drawing her closer; " this will 
never do. I was detained by business, dear a trouble- 
some matter at the Department." 

Mrs. Redmond knelt on the tiger-skin rug and held 
her pink-tinted palms towards the fire. 

" I hate business," she said petulantly, " and I hate 
the old Department too. It takes you away from me, 
and I am jealous of it." 

The Secretary smiled and passed his hand caressingly 
over her dark hair. 

" You are losing your beauty-sleep, my dear," he 
remarked fondly; " to-morrow you will be pale and 
languid, and it will be my fault." 

Mrs. Redmond settled herself into a comfortable bunch 
upon the rug and leaned her head against her husband's 
knee. The flowing sleeve of her gown fell back, display- 
ing her white, rounded arm with its delicate tracery of 
blue veins, and the Secretary stooped and pressed his 
lips against it. Truly Monsieur du Pre was correct in 
his statement Mrs. Redmond was altogether lovely. 

" I 'm going to bask in the firelight, ' ' she said quietly, 
" while you tell me all about your bothersome business. 
I like to share your thoughts, you know, even if they 
are not very pleasant. Tell me all about it, dear." 

So he told her the story of the lost papers and she 
listened silently, giving the hand she held an occasional 
sympathetic pressure and following his words closely. 
And the Secretary felt vaguely reassured; the matter 
seemed much less serious and imperative, considered 
with his young wife's head against his knee and her two 
soft, warm hands holding his closely, than it had done 
when he followed Senator Byrd to the Alibi. 

So the worn look gradually faded from his face, and 



22 THE WIFE OF 

a new light shone in his eyes, as they sat for some 
minutes in that unbroken and blissful silence only pos- 
sible to kindred spirits. After a while Mrs. Redmond 
stirred a little. 

" We are very happy, John, aren't we?" she said 
dreamily. 

" Happy in each other, dear," he responded gently. 

" Happy in each other," she repeated softly, " and, 
after all, does anything else matter ? ' ' 

The fire had grown gray and ashy and she shivered 
slightly. 

' ' I love these unexpected little talks we have now and 
then," she said brightly; " they seem like stolen pleas- 
ures somehow. But you are so tired to-night, poor dear ! 
Put out the lights and go to bed; it must be almost 
morning. You must hold my hand, though, for I am 
afraid of the dark to-night and of several other things, 
so hold it very tightly, John." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 23 



II 



ALTHOUGH the dissipated moon had sunk low in the 
heavens, it was not too far gone to keep an eye upon 
the affairs of earth. The moon cherished a belief, the 
result of many centuries of observation, that mankind 
was very similar the world over, but it liked to keep 
watch, nevertheless. 

Consequently it pursued Count Valdmir as he parted 
from Monsieur du Pre at the door of the Alibi and hailed 
a passing hansom; and when he drove swiftly away it 
still followed curiously. 

The Potomac shimmered and glittered as the moon 
looked at it, and the Virginia hills rose dark and indis- 
tinct against the horizon. Under the Long Bridge, how- 
ever, the river crawled black and sullen, washing against 
its supports with a steady, cold persistence. On one side 
of the bridge lay Washington with its stately buildings 
and broad avenues Washington, the seat of govern- 
ment, the nucleus of law and order. On the other lay 
Jackson City with its squalid hovels and muddy road 
Jackson City, the seat of wickedness, the germ of 
lawlessness and disorder. Between the two flowed the 
Potomac, and the bridge connected them. 

It was late, even for Jackson City, and in one of the 
small gambling-saloons only the proprietor and a solitary 
guest remained. The host was frankly and tearfully 
drunk; the visitor was coldly and disgustedly sober. 



24 THE WIFE OF 

" Now attend," he said sharply, bringing out his 
words with a stinging emphasis not unlike the snap 
of a whip. 

" I'm a poor man," whined the proprietor, clutching 
a pile of dirty notes and coin which lay upon the table, 
' ' a very poor man. I work for my living. ' ' 

The hand which snatched at the money was long and 
shapely; it had once been well cared for too, and even 
now, shaking and grimy as it was, suggested the hand of 
a gentleman. 

The face and figure were those of a man grown old 
in dissipation and poisoned with the dregs of life a 
man sunk to the level of his surroundings. Yet at times 
an indefinable air of birth and breeding asserted itself 
and demanded recognition, as though to illustrate what 
nature had intended to create before man interfered and 
spoiled her handiwork. 

"And I am here to give you money," said the guest 
imperturbably. ' ' I see you are not too drunk to under- 
stand that. Do you know me?" 

" Yes," said the other, raising his head suddenly, 
" yes, Count Valdmir, I know you well." 

" And I also," returned Count Valdmir, whose iden- 
tity had thus far been ingeniously veiled, " have the 
pleasure of knowing you intimately, Colonel Albert St. 
John." 

The coins rattled in the trembling hand and one or two 
fell unnoticed to the floor. 

" You are not without fame, Colonel," resumed Count 
Valdmir politely, his eyes contracting strangely; " the 
police of several countries would be glad to be informed 
of your whereabouts. It was quite a coincidence that 
you should have been standing in your doorway the day 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 25 

I chanced to ride past. My memory for faces is excel- 
lent, and I am accustomed to meeting people in unex- 
pected places; therefore I recognized you at once." 

An inarticulate snarl was the only reply. 

" In Germany," continued Count Valdmir, holding 
up his hand and checking the different countries on his 
fingers, " in France, and in England you are anxiously 
expected. Also in Russia." 

The partly sobered man endeavored to collect himself. 

' ' What do you want ? " he asked, with a sort of grim 
courage. " You did not come here to-night to warn me 
that you meant to inform upon me. ' ' 

Count Valdmir glanced about the dingy room, with 
its array of unwashed glasses and dirty floor, and 
shrugged his shoulders expressively. 

' ' The last time I had the pleasure of talking with you 
was in Berlin, ' ' he said reflectively ; ' ' the salon was un- 
doubtedly larger and the lights perhaps more brilliant, 
also your dress was then immaculate. But your occu- 
pation was much the same. I presume you have, as 
usual, neglected the formality of a ' license.' ' 

" I raise chickens," interrupted the other hurriedly; 
" a license is not required." 

" Just so," said Count Valdmir suavely, " you raise 
chickens, of course. A strange occupation for Colonel 
Albert St. John, is it not?" 

Colonel St. John collapsed suddenly into his chair, his 
few minutes of sobriety vanished and his chin quivering 
miserably. 

" I'm a poor man," he repeated, his voice returning 
to its habitual whine, " a very poor man. I must live." 

A lamp flickered and went out ; the air was fetid with 
kerosene and stale tobacco, and heat radiated visibly 



26 THE WIFE OF 

from the air-tight stove now red hot at its base. Living 
arrangements in Jackson City were strangely primitive 
considering its location. 

Count Valdmir flung open the door and raised the 
window, regardless of a faint protest from his com- 
panion. 

' ' Bah, ' ' he exclaimed, ' ' no wonder you are stupid ; 
it is the atmosphere. Now listen, Colonel St. John. ' ' 

He paused suddenly. 

" By the way," he resumed slowly, " in which army 
do you hold your commission? You used to serve the 
country that paid the highest price and served it well 
too. My compliments to you, Colonel. You are at times 
invaluable to me and I rejoice to have discovered your 
retreat, although I still believe you the greatest rascal 
unhung. It is a pity you should have descended to this. 
That unfortunate contretemps at Berlin was the be- 
ginning of your ill-luck, was it not? You lived in a 
good deal of luxury there, I remember you and your 
daughter. ' ' 

The chill air from the river came in the window and 
ruffled the gray hair of the sodden heap of humanity 
huddled in the chair beside the table. 

' ' What do you want me to do ?" he said dully, passing 
his hand across his brow. ' ' You must speak plainly, for 
my head is heavy to-night." 

But Count Valdmir did not reply at once. He waited 
until the cold night wind had done its work more effectu- 
ally. 

" Colonel St. John," he said at last, leaning forward 
and speaking very slowly, " where is your daughter?" 

The old man made a gesture as though he would ward 
off a blow. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 27 

" You don't like to speak of her? Well, one can 
hardly wonder. You decamped in the night from Paris, 
I believe, leaving her alone and without money; it was 
a most fatherly act. Also she was to bear the conse- 
quences when the police appeared. What became of 
her?" 

" How should I know?" returned the other sullenly. 
" How should /know?" 

' ' True, ' ' agreed Count Valdmir politely, ' ' how should 
you ? It may, however, interest you to learn that Lynd- 
hurst is in town. ' ' 

" In Washington?" 

" Even so. He is attached to the British Embassy and 
has just arrived. I fancy he still remembers; men of 
his type do not forget easily. Young Hertford was his 
cousin ; he paid his debts and sent his body home to his 
mother. It was Lyndhurst who hunted you down at 
Paris." 

" She did it," muttered this model father; " it was 
her work, not mine. Let him look for her." 

"And who taught her the trade she followed? Who 
forced her to use her youth and beauty to decoy men 
to your house that you might fleece them ? Who encour- 
aged her to lure them on to love her and perhaps confide 
in her, while she in turn betrayed their confidence to 
you? No doubt she was an apt pupil, but who instilled 
the rudiments of treachery and deceit into her mind 
before she could speak plainly?" 

A clock in the next room struck three, rattling out the 
time like a series of small explosions. 

' ' I must reluctantly tear myself away, ' ' he continued 
regretfully. " Your secret as well as your existence is 
safe with me, Colonel St. John. Not even Lyndhurst 



28 THE WIFE OF 

shall suspect it as long as you perform an occasional 
trifling service for me, for which you will be well paid. 
Now attend carefully to what I say." 

He spoke slowly and emphatically for some minutes, 
while the old man listened with a strained intentness 
painful to witness. 

" I am not what I once was," he interrupted at last 
deprecatingly ; " my hand shakes; I cannot trust it. 
And my nerve fails me when I least expect it." 
, Count Valdmir made an imperative gesture command- 
ing silence and proceeded with his instructions. 

" Now understand," he concluded sternly, " I hold 
your safety, perhaps your life, in my keeping. You 
pay a heavy penalty for failure, therefore be careful. ' ' 

" I understand," repeated the other mechanically. 

" Then I will not detain you further; I shall return 
before very long. It is almost time to feed your chickens, 
Colonel. Good-night, or, rather, good-morning." 

Entering the waiting hansom he drove rapidly away 
towards Washington without a backward glance. 

The old man stood in the door and watched the re- 
treating vehicle, which looked strangely black and mis- 
shapen in the uncertain light. As the echo of the quick 
trot upon the bridge grew less distinct he clinched his 
hand tightly, and raising his trembling fist shook it in 
the empty air. Returning to the house, he closed the 
window and, sinking into a chair, succumbed to the 
physical collapse inevitable to men of his type after 
strong mental excitement. His head fell forward on his 
breast and he breathed heavily, his brow moist and 
clammy with beads of cold perspiration standing out 
upon it. A delicious sense of oblivion enveloped him, 
and his body surged forward dangerously. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 29 

Colonel St. John was asleep. 

Asleep with his gray head upon the notched and 
rickety table, and with the little heap of ill-gained money 
forgotten and unnoticed. Suddenly his face softened 
and a singularly sweet smile changed its whole expres- 
sion. 

" My dear," he said in a full, cultivated voice, stretch- 
ing out his hand appealingly, " you look remarkably 
well to-night. That gown suits you to perfection." 

Colonel St. John was dreaming. 

Count Valdmir dismissed his hansom and inserted his 
latchkey in the door of his apartment. He was thor- 
oughly chilled by his drive across the Potomac, and the 
sight of an armchair by the grate where the coals still 
glowed was not unattractive. A table within easy reach 
held matches and cigars, also a decanter and a small 
glass. His valet knew his business thoroughly and had 
been with him a long time. Rapidly getting into 
smoking- jacket and slippers, he sank luxuriously into 
the depths of the chair, selected a cigar, and proceeded 
to carefully review the events of the past few hours. 

The fire glowed and faded, the moon disappeared en- 
tirely, and the wheels of enterprising milk-carts rat- 
tled loudly in the street below before he rose and 
stretched himself wearily. 

"A good night's work," he remarked, yawning. 

Filling the slender-stemmed glass, he held it criti- 
cally towards the light. 

" To Mrs. Redmond!" he exclaimed as he put it to 
his lips; " to Mrs. Redmond, the wife of the Secretary 
of State!" 

A slight crash followed and the fragments of the little 
glass mingled with the ashes on the hearth. 



30 THE WIFE OF 



III 



WHEN David Leigh secured an appointment under the 
government he believed himself very fortunate. It really 
seemed providential that the private secretary to the 
Secretary of State should resign just at the conclusion 
of the trip abroad which had followed his graduation 
at Yale, and while he was still uncertain whether Fate 
intended him to become a bright and shining light in 
the literary world or remain an obscure reporter on a 
New York daily; secretly, he inclined to the former 
belief, for twenty-five is a somewhat egotistical age even 
with the best of us. Moreover, he was decidedly elated 
at securing his present position; it had all been so 
easy. 

" I can get the billet for you if you want it," his 
uncle had remarked, ' ' and I advise you to take it. Such 
places are good stepping-stones to better things; they 
don 't go begging, so you would better grab while the bag 
is open." 

And he had grabbed eagerly. 

The selection of a place to live had been rather diffi- 
cult, and it was a month after he had entered upon his 
duties in the Department before he could summon cour- 
age to apply for admittance to the select and exclusive 
boarding-house to which he had been recommended. 

" I am the widow of a Southern gentleman, Mr. 
Leigh, who lost his all in the Civil War," said the im- 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 31 

posing personage who presented herself in response to 
his request for the lady of the house, " and I do take 
a few paying guests. I always require to know some- 
thing of their antecedents, however, but, of course, your 
connection with the State Department is a sufficient cre- 
dential, so I will make an exception in your favor and 
waive further reference." 

David thought himself uncommonly lucky and thanked 
her profusely as he clinched the bargain, quite uncon- 
scious that the lady herself was equally anxious to come 
to an agreement. 

" I have let the north room at last, Mary," she re- 
marked to her maid, ' ' and for my own price too. ' ' 

" Well," responded Mary, who appeared to be a 
depressing companion, " I wish him joy of his bargain, 
Ma'am. He'll freeze in winter and roast in summer, 
not to mention havin' to light the gas every mornin' 
when he dresses. He won't stay long, and I wouldn't 
neither if I could get what was owin' me so there, Mrs. 
Colson." 

" It's very unkind in you to speak so, Mary," re- 
turned Mrs. Colson, immediately dissolved in tears. 
" My father owned a hundred slaves, and I never even 
tied my own shoestring until I came to Washington." 

The necessity of tying her shoes herself always weighed 
very heavily upon Mrs. Colson when placed in an awk- 
ward position. Her house was large and conveniently 
situated and therefore generally well filled, with the 
usual preponderance of indigent widows and spinsters 
of uncertain age. David found himself the object of 
close scrutiny as he took his seat at the breakfast-table 
and felt rather embarrassed in consequence. He had 
not yet learned that the advent of a young man is an 



32 THE WIFE OF 

occasion of breathless interest in the average boarding- 
house. 

Mrs. Colson received him with a welcoming smile and 
at once introduced everyone within earshot, adding 
items of interest concerning them in parenthesis after 
each name. 

" Miss Jackson, Mr. Leigh (a cousin of Stonewall 
Jackson) ; Miss Madison (a connection of Dolly Madison 
and named for her) ; Mr. Reyburn (one of our first 
families and head of a division in the Agricultural De- 
partment) ; Mrs. Rowen (niece of James Monroe and 
born in the White House) ; Miss Gray, Mr. Leigh, and 
Miss Christine Gray (our newest guests except your- 
self) ; Mr. Marks (our Scientist connected with the 
Smithsonian)." 

Mrs. Colson paused for breath and looked about the 
room. 

11 Mr. Leigh himself," she remarked, launching her 
piece de resistance, " is the private secretary of the Sec- 
retary of State. ' ' 

David made a series of bows as the names were men- 
tioned, and finally subsided into his chair, feeling flushed 
and uncomfortable. 

" Will you kindly pass the salt?" said the cousin of 
Stonewall Jackson, who sat at his right. 

" I'll thank you for the pepper," murmured the 
White House Baby at his left. 

David salted and peppered the ladies and ventured 
to look about him. He found himself being calmly con- 
sidered by two large brown eyes, the property of Miss 
Christine Gray, his vis-a-vis. He was relieved to find 
her young and glad that she was pretty. 

She was very pretty indeed, was Miss Christine, with 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 33 

the charm of youth and the brilliant coloring which sug- 
gests fresh air and plenty of it. Mr. Marks sat beside 
her and struggled bravely to be entertaining, but small- 
talk was not his strong point. Deep down within his 
scientific heart something had recently stirred which 
both annoyed and surprised him, but he responded to its 
dictates and endeavored to be chatty and agreeable. 

' ' Have you ever happened to calculate the percentage 
of mosquitoes which have never tasted blood?" he in- 
quired by way of setting the ball rolling as he slowly 
stirred his coffee. 

" No," returned Christine, her dimples suddenly in 
evidence, " but I expect you could tell me the exact 
number. ' ' 

Mr. Marks entirely forgot to reply as he pondered 
over her words; he was often dimly aware that her 
most innocent remarks admitted of two constructions, 
and that his fellow-boarders frequently showed a dispo- 
sition to become hilarious when he, himself, failed to 
detect the joke. Christine now applied herself to her 
breakfast and relapsed into silence. Evidently, thought 
Mr. Marks, mosquitoes did not interest her; he would 
try again. 

" Have you ever considered," he remarked casually, 
' ' how much better it would be if the human race existed 
upon one sort of food only ? This multiplicity of viands 
is bad for the stomach. ' ' 

Mr. Marks frequently referred to that portion of his 
anatomy, and always with great respect. 

" I don't think I would like it at all," replied Chris- 
tine promptly. " One kind of food served constantly 
would become absolutely hateful." 

Mr. Marks again cogitated for some minutes. He 

3 



34 THE WIFE OF 

wished to prove his quickness at repartee, and took 
advantage of a general lull in the conversation to do so. 

" Does butter?" he demanded in sepulchral tones. 

And Christine, meeting an irrespressible twinkle in 
David's eye, laughed outright and precipitately left the 
table. 

A few minutes later David encountered her in the 
hall, her hands full of letters and papers, which she 
scanned anxiously and impatiently flung upon the table. 

" It has not come, Molly," she said to her sister. 
" There is something for everyone in the house except 
ourselves. And yet he promised you, didn 't he ? " 

" Never mind, Christine," said Miss Gray gently, " he 
may have forgotten. Congressmen are so busy, you 
know." 

The two girls went on upstairs, and David emerged 
from the house simultaneously with the connection of 
Stonewall Jackson and the White House Baby. Both 
ladies carried brown paper packages three by four inches 
in size, each containing two sandwiches and a slice of 
cake. Force of circumstances obliged them to spend 
their days within the restricting walls of the Treasury 
Department, and naturally robust appetites clamored 
for satisfaction as the noon hour approached, but their 
aristocratic lineage demanded that such bodily nourish- 
ment be genteelly compressed into the smallest space 
possible. 

Miss Jackson drew the ends of her thick veil together 
and sighed depressingly. 

" It's a lovely morning, isn't it?" ventured David as 
the trio walked briskly down the street. 

" Is it?" she responded from the depths of the veil. 
"I'm sure I had not noticed. When one spends one's 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 35 

days bending over a desk, one does not care whether the 
sun shines or not. ' ' 

David had a guilty feeling that he should not have 
introduced the subject of the weather and digressed to 
a safer topic. 

' ' What a beautiful city Washington is, ' ' he remarked 
impersonally as they crossed Lafayette Park. 

" I see nothing beautiful in it, ' ' responded the White 
House Baby, looking with contemptuous eyes at the 
place of her birth. ' ' I count money all day long in the 
basement of the Treasury and dream again of counting 
it at night. That's all Washington represents to me 
to be herded into a badly ventilated room with people 
absolutely indifferent to the prerogatives of a lady. 
Why, if you'll believe me, Mr. Leigh, the men in those 
offices don't even think of rising when I enter the room, 
and I am actually allowed to pick up my own handker- 
chief and put on my overshoes unassisted ! Such things 
were unheard of before the war." 

She paused a moment, then added in a faint, mincing 
voice, 

" And 7 was born in the White House." 

David murmured an apology for the delinquencies of 
his sex and felt decidedly uncomfortable. 

" It jars upon one's sensibilities," observed Miss 
Jackson, taking up the refrain in a minor chord as she 
picked her way daintily across the street, ' ' to be brought 
into such close daily contact with one's inferiors. One 
cannot touch pitch and remain undefiled, and I feel I 
owe to the United States Government a marked deteri- 
oration of a naturally fine character a coarsening, as 
it were, of the delicate and sensitive fibres so essential to 
the happiness of our sex. We well-born women are 



36 THE WIFE OF 

merely sensitive plants, Mr. Leigh; we shrivel and con- 
tract in an uncongenial atmosphere or at a careless 
touch." 

It occurred to David, as he raised his hat and parted 
from the sensitive plants, that they also owed to the 
United States Government the roof which sheltered them, 
not to mention food and raiment. He had yet to learn 
that they were merely a type to be found in almost every 
boarding-house and department in Washington, and by 
no means represented the army of women who work 
quietly and conscientiously, to whom they are an in- 
estimable disadvantage. 

It was customary for the Secretary to reach his office 
about ten o'clock, therefore, when David was informed 
that he had already arrived and wished to see Mr. Leigh 
as soon as the latter appeared, he obeyed the summons 
with astonishment. 

Mr. Redmond sat before his desk in his private office. 
A wood-fire snapped and blazed cheerfully behind the 
brass wire screen, its dancing light reflected on the 
dark, polished wood of the handsome mantel; the win- 
try sun shone with all the vigor it possessed through 
the large south windows which overlooked the wide ex- 
panse known as The Mall, with the Potomac winding 
its sluggish way towards the ocean and the hills of 
old Virginia standing in irregular array against the 
horizon. 

The view from his office windows was a constant source 
of pleasure to the Secretary, but to-day he had not even 
glanced at the Washington Monument, the matchless 
symmetry and dignified simplicity of whose shaft 
gratified his artistic tendencies. 

" Mr. Leigh," he said abruptly as David appeared, 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 37 

omitting the usual morning salutation, " I want the 
Roostchook papers. Where are they?" 

David hesitated perceptibly. 

" I left them in your desk, sir," he replied slowly, 
" under the bronze weight in the left-hand drawer, with 
other confidential papers." 

The Secretary was nervously bending a paper-knife 
between his fingers, and David watched it mechanically. 

" Mr. Leigh," he continued, bringing out his words 
with an obvious effort, " you are the custodian of cor- 
respondence coming into your possession, especially in 
my absence. This matter is of grave importance. The 
papers are gone as well as the plan of New York Har- 
bor. I believe them to have been stolen. The War 
Department has your signed receipt for the plan of 
defence I borrowed; I myself handed you the other 
papers to read. The responsibility would seem to rest 
with you. ' ' 

A messenger entered the room, replenished the fire, 
and retired quietly. David watched with apparent in- 
terest the shower of sparks which ensued before the 
fresh log blazed up brightly amid the charred fragments 
of its predecessors. 

" The responsibility," repeated the Secretary quietly, 
" rests with you." 

A dead silence followed as David gradually grasped 
the situation. In the corridor without the sound of 
passing feet could be heard and an occasional careless 
laugh penetrated through the closed door; a ray of 
sunshine fell directly upon the large glass inkstand, 
compelling the eye to involuntarily focus upon it and 
be dazzled in consequence; and the click of a type- 
writer in an adjoining room was distinctly audible. 



38 THE WIFE OF 

David mechanically noted these details as he watched 
the paper-knife bend double in the Secretary's hands. 

It snapped suddenly, and the tension relaxed some- 
what. Mr. Redmond leaned back in his chair and looked 
keenly at his private secretary. He saw a man, tall, 
broad-shouldered, and well set up, after the manner of 
college athletes, young, almost boyish in appearance, 
with no apparent realization of the serious aspect of the 
position, and his eybrows met in a heavy frown of dis- 
approval. But he looked again at the firm outline of 
the face before him, with its clean-cut mouth and square 
chin; he noted the clear blue eyes, candid yet vaguely 
troubled, which met his searching gaze unflinchingly, 
and the Secretary looked a third time and changed his 
firmly grounded opinion. He believed himself a judge 
of character. 

' ' Have you any theory as to the disappearance of the 
papers?" he inquired deliberately. 

' ' Not yet, ' ' returned David quietly, the squareness of 
his lower jaw suddenly accentuated, " but I shall have 
in time." 

The Secretary rose and walked slowly up and down 
the room in silence, with his hands clasped behind his 
back and his fingers tightly interlaced. Suddenly he 
paused and laid his hand upon the younger man's 
shoulder. 

" Mr. Leigh," he said with an entire change of man- 
ner, " I am much troubled about this matter, and, no 
doubt, I seem irritable and unjust, but I trust you will 
be patient. I must go to the bottom of it myself, of 
course, but I need your help. My grasp on things is 
not what it once was; it is a penalty we all pay to 
advancing years." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 39 

The Secretary paused and looked anxiously into the 
blue eyes on a level with his own. 

" You will help me, I am sure," he said gently. " I 
may depend on you, may I not ? ' ' 

" I will do my best," said David gravely. 



40 THE WIFE OF 



IV 



CHRISTINE GRAY, dressed for the street, stood in Mrs. 
Colson's third-story back meditating deeply. Her white 
forehead was drawn into an anxious furrow as she sur- 
veyed herself in the little mirror, but she finally breathed 
a relieved sigh. The result was satisfactory. Christine 
had resolved upon decisive and independent action, and 
felt that much might depend upon creating a favorable 
impression in the beginning; she had observed that the 
impressions she created were apt to be favorable, but, 
notwithstanding this fact, she continued to pay great 
attention to details. A bunch of violets floated on the 
top of the water-pitcher, vases being unavailable at Mrs. 
Colson's except in the parlor, and she critically tried 
their effect against her black coat ; they looked extremely 
well. 

" On the whole," observed Christine, regretfully re- 
turning them to the water-pitcher, " on the whole, I 
think it would be better not to wear them. He might 
draw conclusions which would not be to my advantage. ' ' 

She drew a long breath as she set out for the street, 
and felt very important and withal a bit frightened as 
she hailed a passing car and started for the Capitol. 
Christine was about to make her first attempt at lobby- 
ing, and was not at all certain how to go about it. She 
had, of course, been to the Senate and House when sight- 
seeing, but they had failed to impress her upon that 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 41 

occasion with the sense of awe they inspired to-day. 
The magnitude of any object, animate or inanimate, 
depends largely upon the point of view from which one 
regards it and the reason one has for approaching it. 
No doubt we have all seen molehills develop into moun- 
tains and shirked climbing them in consequence. 

Christine disliked the way the watchman looked at 
her as she entered the rotunda; he was quite innocent 
of any ulterior meaning, but she immediately felt he 
knew why she was there, and that his glance was com- 
passionate and superior. She inquired her way to the 
House in as haughty a manner as she could command, 
hoping thereby to crush him and establish her social 
status beyond all question. 

She accosted the doorkeeper of the public gallery a 
little timidly. Could he tell her whether Mr. Rivers, of 
Virginia, was there? He could; the gentleman was 
then upon the floor of the House. Should he take her 
card? Christine, inwardly quaking, produced her bit 
of pasteboard and followed the guide summoned to con- 
duct her to the Marble Room. 

One is inclined to wonder sometimes how many women 
have waited there in years past, and what tales of good 
and evil the dignified walls could repeat if they felt 
so inclined; and to wonder, also, how many will wait 
there in years to come, and what secrets will be entrusted 
to the polished stone. Perhaps they will be more inno- 
cent than many of those now inscribed, and the hearts 
they reflect more guileless and unsullied than some 
reflected in the past. 

Mr. Rivers, of Virginia, entered hastily. He was 
obviously annoyed as he looked from the card in his 
hand at the different women assembled there, and said 



42 THE WIFE OF 

something to the watchman, who shook his head help- 
lessly, speculating inwardly why he should be supposed 
to know one woman from another by intuition. 

Christine rose nervously and stepped forward. 

" Mr. Rivers?" she said interrogatively. 

" Miss Gray?" he returned with similar intonation, 
and a pause ensued. 

" I sent a reply to your letter this morning," he 
resumed briskly; " you would have received it this 
afternoon had you waited. ' ' 

" No," said Christine quietly, " I should not, for I 
have not written to you." 

Mr. Eivers was surprised, and consequently took his 
first look at his visitor; he took a second and longer 
observation immediately. 

" You see," said Christine, plunging desperately into 
her subject, as one swallows a bad dose quickly to have 
it over with, " you see, your letter was for my sister, 
and she " 

" She asked an appointment under the Government," 
said Mr. Rivers; " quite so. I have many such letters. 
However, I wrote her this morning I hoped to be able 
to secure something for her before very long. In con- 
sideration of my past obligations to your father I put 
her claim before many others." 

" Yes," said Christine incoherently, " that's just 
what I came about. Please don 't give it to her. ' ' 

' ' What ! ' ' exclaimed Mr. Rivers, such requests being 
somewhat new to him. 

"At least," she continued, " I don't mean just that. 
Won't you give it to me instead? It can't make any 
difference to you, and it does make a great deal of dif- 
ference to me. Just use my name instead of hers." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 43 

" My dear Miss Gray!" he ejaculated. 

' ' Oh, dear, ' ' sighed Christine mournfully, ' ' now I 've 
got all mixed up, and you don't understand a bit. You 
see it's this way. Mary don't want to go into office; 
you know she's a trained nurse, and adores bandages 
and chloroform and all those things I hate. ' ' 

Christine paused for breath and Mr. Rivers smiled in- 
dulgently. The annoyed expression had vanished, also 
the curt, hurried intonation of his voice. 

"And so," resumed Christine, " if you give it to me, 
Mary can go to her bandages and her disinfectants with 
a clear conscience. ' ' 

" Do you think you would like office life?" inquired 
Mr. Rivers curiously. " You do not impress me as one 
who would take very kindly to the monotony and con- 
finement it entails." 

" Oh, I sha'n't mind," returned the girl absently, 
adding in a voice she strove to make careless but in 
which the note of keen anxiety was dominant, ' ' then you 
will give it to me?" 

" There is a trifling impediment," said Mr. Rivers 
slowly, " the examination, you know." 

" But I took it when Mary did," cried Christine, 
much relieved. " I thought that I told you. And I 
passed too ; not so well as she did, of course, but still I 
passed." 

" You say your sister really prefers nursing?" in- 
quired Mr. Rivers, visibly wavering. 

' ' Yes, ' ' said Christine eagerly, ' ' she does indeed, and 
I do so want to be independent. ' ' 

" Miss Gray," said Mr. Rivers solemnly, " you bring 
very powerful influence to bear to gain your point. The 
pressure has proved too much for me." 



44 THE WIFE OF 

" I brought no one," said Christine indignantly, " I 
am quite alone." 

" Yes," said Mr. Rivers, laughingly, " I see you are. 
Your strength does not lie in numbers, Miss Gray. If 
you can make my peace with your sister, you may regard 
the matter as settled, so far as I am concerned. ' ' 

" I ought to thank you, I suppose," said Christine, 
' ' but I don 't quite know what to say. ' ' 

' ' I wish, ' ' said Mr. Rivers gravely, ' ' that I was offer- 
ing you something better. The War Department at sixty 
dollars a month is not much to be thankful for, Miss 
Gray." 

''It is just that much better than nothing, Mr. 
Rivers." 

" Your appointment will be sent immediately," he 
remarked as he shook her hand cordially. " I shall be 
interested to hear how you get on. If you have any 
trouble, let me know. My obligations to your father, 
Miss Gray " 

Mr. Rivers paused abruptly, guiltily aware that the 
sight of the daughter had increased these obligations sur- 
prisingly, and proposed that he should furnish her with 
a card of admission to the private gallery of the House. 

Christine felt as though she were walking on air as 
she went down the steps of the Capitol. The interview 
so long meditated, and privately much dreaded, had 
proved not unpleasant, after all. 

"It is much better," she remarked aloud, " to see 
persons than to write to them ; I always told Mary that. ' ' 

A long-legged youth with a twinkle in his gray eyes 
fell into step beside her and gravely removed his hat. 

" Poor Mary," he said sadly, " I feel for her; she 
is told so many things. ' ' 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 45 

" It certainly would be a pleasant change to go some- 
where and not have you suddenly appear," remarked 
Christine with some asperity. 

" Well," said the boy seriously, " you'll have that 
pleasure soon, I think, Christine. I 've been notified that 
I passed the examination, so I 'm sure of my commission 
at last. I don't know yet what regiment I'm assigned 
to, but I hope for the cavalry. Of course, there's no 
telling where I may be sent, but I will know shortly. ' ' 

" Oh Harry," she said breathlessly, " not really?" 

" Really and truly, Christine." 

The girl paused on the lower step and laid an appeal- 
ing hand upon his arm, quite regardless of the people 
in the street below. 

" Harry," she said gently, " I didn't mean it, you 
know, about not wanting to see you. Of course, I was 
joking. You understand, don't you?" 

And probably Harry understood, for he pressed the 
little hand gratefully and suggested that they go into 
the Congressional Library and talk things over quietly. 

An hour later two self-conscious but important-look- 
ing young people emerged from the Library and walked 
slowly down the street. 

" I don't like it, you know," he said positively, " the 
idea of you in an office! but just as soon as I can get 
on my feet a little I'm coming back for you." 

" Oh Harry," she said with a little gasp, " it does 
seem ridiculous to think that it's you and me, doesn't 
it?" 

" Don't let's take the car yet," he suggested as she 
paused on the corner, " we have so much to talk about 
and so little time to talk." 

' ' When you come back, Harry, ' ' she remarked as they 



46 THE WIFE OF 

strolled slowly on, "I shall be quite a staid old office 
person like Miss Jackson, for instance. ' ' 

" Christine," he exclaimed suddenly, " suppose we 
don't wait. Of course, I haven't much money and don't 
know where I am going, but we could manage somehow 
almost anywhere. Come with me, Christine." 

The girl shook her head gravely. 

" No, Harry," she said, " it wouldn't be right. You 
know we settled all that in the Library. You have to 
buy your uniforms and things, and they do cost such 
a lot. I think it's very mean to give second lieutenants 
such little salaries. I 'm sure it 's a very important posi- 
tion for a man to occupy, and he ought to be paid accord- 
ingly." 

And undoubtedly all second lieutenants would heartily 
endorse this opinion. 

" But," she continued brightly, " the time will soon 
pass, for we will both be busy. And then when you 
feel that it 's right for you to do it, really right, Harry, 
why, you can tell me so. And when you come 
back -" 

" Well, Christine?" 

A mist formed before her eyes and obscured surround- 
ing objects, but she brushed it aside impatiently. 

" Why, then," she replied with a little break in her 
voice, " you will find me ready for my marching orders, 
General Fielding." 

And the paradise especially prepared for the young 
and hopeful opened its gates before them, plainly visible 
and apparently easy of access. We have all looked at 
the western sky when the sun was setting ; we have seen 
its scarlet and gold merge into the purple horizon, and 
the gray, leaden clouds change suddenly into a canopy 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 47 

of glory; and we have thought, because we could not 
help it, about another world whose streets are golden and 
its gates precious jewels. It seems very near that other 
world ; we can almost reach the portal, which will open 
at the touch of a finger, and involuntarily we stretch out 
our hands. 

And then we realize the distance. The light begins 
to fade, and we look down at the ploughed fields and 
muddy ways we must cross and feel discouraged. For 
we know, beyond all doubt, we will be tired when we 
get there too tired to care very much about anything; 
we know also that the gates are not jewels after all, but 
iron and tightly locked ; and we fear our hands are not 
quite strong enough to turn the key. We are sure of 
this because the sun has set, and we are no longer 
blinded by its radiance. 

But the boy and girl, whose combined summers num- 
bered little more than forty, looked across the expanse 
of intervening time at their goal, illumined until it 
shone distinct and beautiful against its misty back- 
ground of uncertainty. They did not think of the time 
which might elapse before they achieved it ; nor did they 
realize that this time must be lived day by day, hour 
by hour, and that life is sometimes difficult and always 
perplexing. They saw their paradise clearly. Its way 
lay straight before them, and they entertained no doubts 
of reaching it at last. Why, indeed, should they? 



48 THE WIFE OF 



V 



THE Secretary of State and Mrs. Redmond stood at 
the door of the ballroom to receive their guests. 

Without, a fine white mist fell steadily. The street 
was wet and slippery, with the light of many carriage 
lamps reflected on its shining asphalt, and coachmen 
swore roundly as they huddled on their boxes, sullen 
lumps of misery, while across the park and down the 
wide avenue the east wind hurried breathlessly. 

Within, Persian rugs and rich hangings glowed in the 
radiance of many lights; the air was moist and warm, 
and heavy with the scent of roses; while up the wide 
staircase and through the spacious rooms surged the 
endless stream of humanity. 

" One always sees the people one wants to see at 
Mrs. Redmond's, don't you know?" remarked a gilded 
youth of Washington when asked why he never allowed 
a previous engagement to interfere with his acceptance 
of her invitations. And his argument was admitted as 
sound. 

The Secretary was tired. For what seemed to him an 
interminable period he had been exchanging polite in- 
anities with one person after another. Fat women 
melted into thin women ; gray-haired men replaced cal- 
low youths ; statesmen stepped upon the skirts of debu- 
tantes; diplomats followed one another in quick succes- 
sion, and still they came. The Secretary wondered 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 49 

vaguely whether he looked as bored as the man who 
announced the guests, and felt a sympathy for him. 

" The Chinese Minister and Mrs. Chang!" shouted 
that factotum, and the little lady tottered along on her 
useless stumps of feet in the wake of her burly lord and 
master, a round spot of bright red paint on either cheek 
and a large yellow chrysanthemum over each ear. Mrs. 
Chang in her gorgeous oriental dress and speaking her 
pretty broken English was a welcome addition to all 
social functions. 

Monsieur du Pre had arrived in good season and now 
stood where he could command a view of his hostess un- 
observed by her. It was Monsieur du Pre's theory that 
when any one of his senses was pleasantly affected it 
should be gratified as often as possible; therefore he 
meant on this occasion to indulge his eyes whenever prac- 
ticable. 

" Does she not surpass herself to-night?" he ex- 
claimed rapturously. " Is she not superb? And then 
her jewels. Man Dieu! Her jewels. " 

And, indeed, Mrs. Redmond justified his enthusiasm. 
Her white satin gown was cut with a severity of style 
well adapted to display her graceful figure to the best 
advantage. An arch of diamonds spanned her dark 
hair, supporting a crescent of flawless opals which radi- 
ated rays of fire with every motion of her head, while 
a string of diamonds encircled her neck, one large, 
curiously shaped opal forming a pendant which alter- 
nately glowed and paled upon her white throat. About 
her waist was a girdle composed of close, flexible links 
of dull gold heavily studded with opals, each stone 
being set in diamond points. Mrs. Redmond's jewels 
were the envy of her feminine acquaintances, but the 

4 



50 THE WIFE OF 

priceless opals were the wonder and admiration of all 
Washington. 

' ' How hot it is ! " observed a dowager in purple satin 
to one in black as the rooms filled rapidly. 

" My dear," returned the other confidentially, " I 
assure you that nothing in the world but the fear of dis- 
appointing Isabel lured me from my chimney-corner to- 
night. These crushes are most unsatisfactory, don't you 
think so?" 

" Isabel looks extremely well this evening," remarked 
the first speaker pleasantly; " she is quite the prettiest 
girl in the room. Now I had to pilot my niece through 
four seasons one whole administration before I got 
her settled, but I fancy you won't have the same ex- 
perience. ' ' 

" Well, I don't know," was the doubtful response, 
" this is her second season, and neither Isabel nor her 
father seem to realize the importance of an early and 
advantageous marriage for a girl. ' ' ' My dear, ' I often 
say to her, ' as time passes your roses fade and your 
chances grow less' By the way" interrupting her- 
self hastily " who is that being presented to her?" 

Two pairs of gold lorgnettes were levelled upon the 
unconscious man as he bowed to Isabel and carelessly 
straightened the flower in his buttonhole. 

" I think," said she of the purple satin with renewed 
interest, " that it is the Hon. Cecil Lyndhurst, one of 
the new British Attaches. A great catch, my dear. 
Second son, old baronial estates, title in prospect, and 
all that sort of thing. Isabel could not do better. ' ' 

" Indeed," said the careful aunt thoughtfully, " in- 
deed I" 

The lorgnettes were dropped and fans resumed. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 51 

" The Secretary begins to show his age, don't you 
think so, Mrs. Chesley?" said the purple satin, dex- 
terously concealing a yawn ; "he looks tired, but Mrs. 
Redmond is as fresh as a daisy still. The difference in 
years is very marked to-night." 

' ' My dear Mrs. Layton, ' ' replied Mrs. Chesley acidly, 
" I hear she once made her own living. I think she was 
abroad with some family as governess, or maybe it was 
companion, when he first knew her." 

" Now I'm sure you are wrong, Mrs. Chesley," inter- 
rupted Mrs. Layton eagerly. " I have it on good 
authority that she had gone to Germany to study music, 
and that it was her playing which first attracted him." 

"-Was it?" said Mrs. Chesley indifferently. " Well, 
anyway, he married her over there and brought her 
home. He was then in the Senate, you know, and I 
remember that there was a good deal of disappointment 
among the mothers about it, quite naturally, we have 
so few eligibles in Washington." 

And the fans waved slowly to and fro as the conver- 
sation drifted into other channels. 

Miss Isabel Byrd, although in her second season, was 
still suspected of attending balls simply for the pleasure 
of dancing, and the fact that she was often obliged to 
divide her favors spoke volumes for her popularity in 
a city where dancing men were at a premium and hos- 
tesses frequently driven to the verge of distraction to 
provide expectant damsels with even an occasional part- 
ner. She was merely a thoroughly healthy, happy 
American girl, ignorant of care or responsibility, and 
had never in her life lost an hour's sleep except when 
she had the measles. Why should she not enjoy every 
moment of her existence ? 



52 THE WIFE OF 

" Thank you," said the Hon. Cecil Lyndhurst as the 
waltz ended, " it was delightful." 

" Yes, wasn't it? It's the floor, you know," returned 
Isabel naively ; ' ' there is not another like it in all Wash- 
ington. ' ' 

The Hon. Cecil adjusted his monocle and gravely con- 
sidered the waxed floor. 

" If I should find you a chair in some quiet corner," 
he suggested at last, " would you take pity on my igno- 
rance and point out a few people one ought to know?" 

' ' If the chair proves comfortable, ' ' said Isabel, laugh- 
ing, " I shall probably be very obliging. Ah, this is 
nice. ' ' 

And it was undeniably cosey in the recess behind a 
tall palm, where a small divan loaded with pillows 
offered an inviting surface for the weary to rest upon, 
while a mantel banked with ferns and red roses pre- 
sented an effective background for a slender form in a 
white frock. Also, one could command a fine view of 
the ballroom with its glittering panorama of handsomely 
gowned women and black-coated men, which the British 
Attache scrutinized with a good deal of interest. 

" Well," inquired Miss Byrd suddenly, " what do 
you think of us ? " 

" Collectively or individually?" returned the Hon. 
Cecil, quite unmoved by the abruptness of the query. 

"Both." 

" Individually you interest me very much; collec- 
tively I have not had time to form an opinion. I only 
arrived at the Legation yesterday, and my Chief brought 
me here to-night." 

" We will probably be very nice to you," returned 
Isabel. " We're awfully polite to diplomats as a rule." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 53 

' ' Now, ' ' she continued, leaning back comfortably, 
" ask me some questions. I am all prepared to be in- 
structive. ' ' 

" First," he said, after a comprehensive view of the 
room, " who is the impressive old lady in black looking 
this way with such interest?" 

" That is my aunt, Mrs. Chesley," said Isabel, laugh- 
ing, ' ' and she is talking to my father, Senator Byrd ; I 
will present you to them both after awhile. I have no 
other relatives here, so you can be as unguarded as you 
please." 

They both laughed a little, and Isabel continued, a 
scarcely perceptible motion of her fan indicating the 
person of whom she spoke. 

' ' Miss Stone, the Chicago heiress ; she is naturally in 
great demand, so you must lose no time in meeting her. ' ' 

' ' Of course, I shall be charmed, ' ' he returned politely, 
' ' but there is no need for undue haste, is there ? ' ' 

" The Minister from the Netherlands. I don't know 
why he always seems surrounded by a halo of romance, ' ' 
said Isabel, interrupting herself, " he is certainly most 
commonplace, but I always think of him as very inter- 
esting. I suppose it is the name the Netherlands 
sounds so fascinating, somehow. 

" ' A rose by any other name, ' " he quoted, smiling. 

" The Russian Ambassador and Count Valdmir, one 
of the new Attaches, ' ' resumed Isabel. ' ' I see you know 
them already." 

" Count Valdmir and myself were stationed at our 
respective Embassies in Berlin at the same time; we 
also both happened to be on duty in Paris later on. ' ' 

" It must be delightful to have lived in such a num- 
ber of places and to meet so many interesting people," 



54 THE WIFE OF 

said Isabel enthusiastically, " and then to know all 
sorts of state secrets and be mixed up in international 
controversies must be positively thrilling." 

" It has both advantages and disadvantages, Miss 
Byrd." 

" That is Mrs. Redmond talking to the Russian At- 
tache. Is she not lovely?" exclaimed Isabel, after indi- 
cating several other personages of note. 

Mr. Lyndhurst adjusted his eyeglass critically. He 
had been obliged to pass on with a hasty glance when 
presented, owing to pressure in the rear, and felt a 
natural curiosity as to the appearance of his hostess, who 
now turned, as though in response to his desire, and 
walked towards them, her hand upon the arm of Count 
Valdmir and her jewels gleaming under the electric 
lights. Miss Byrd rose and closed her fan. 

" Will you take me to my aunt?" she asked. " We 
have been here quite too long, I fear." 

But her companion did not reply. He was watching 
the white train of Mrs. Redmond's gown disappear into 
the conservatory opposite, and on his face was the in- 
credulous expression of one suddenly confronted by the 
impossible. 

The dim light of the conservatory and the cool green 
of many palms offered a restful vista for eyes wearied 
with the glitter of the ballroom, and the splash and 
ripple of a small fountain replaced the music of the 
band most acceptably. The Russian Attache indicated 
a divan, comfortable with many pillows. 

" Madame is tired," he remarked. "It is weary 
work, receiving people, especially with the American 
custom of shaking hands. Another cushion at your 
back so. ' ' 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 55 

Mrs. Redmond leaned against the cushion and con- 
templated the point of her slipper; her eyes followed 
the pattern of seed pearls embroidered upon it, and she 
afterwards remembered there were twenty-six small 
beads in each flower and one large one. The conserva- 
tory was empty, except for themselves, but through the 
curtained door came the hum of conversation mingled 
with strains of music, and shadows of passing figures 
fell dark upon the white marble floor ; the air was heavy 
with the scent of blooming plants and oppressive in its 
moist heat. 

Mrs. Redmond smoothed her long white glove until 
not a wrinkle remained. 

" Well?" she said interrogatively. 

Her companion broke a leaf off the plant nearest him 
and slowly tore it into bits. 

" I received the roll of music, Madame," he said at 
last, " many thanks for your trouble. It was not, how- 
ever, quite complete." 

"Indeed?" 

" The translation was lacking, consequently the song 
itself is to me pointless. In fact, Madame, it resembles 
a lock without a key. ' ' 

" You are apt in your similes, Count." 

He stooped to pick up a cushion which had slipped 
to the floor and replaced it carefully on the divan. 

" Might I venture to trespass further on your kind- 
ness, Madame?" he said quietly. " I should much ap- 
preciate the translation. I am interested in the folk- 
lore of all countries, but their dialects are puzzling. 
Will you come to my assistance ? ' ' 

The last notes of a waltz died away with the lingering 
sweetness peculiar to some melodies, and the conserva- 



56 THE WIFE OF 

tory was suddenly alive with the voices and laughter of 
dancers who eagerly sought the cushioned seats judi- 
ciously placed in the dimly lighted seclusion of remote 
corners or conveniently large palms. 

The Secretary, laboriously escorting a stout matron 
towards the supper-room, passed so close to his wife and 
her companion that she might have touched him by put- 
ting out her hand. 

" Oh, no, Mrs. Layton," he was saying in evident 
reply to her interrogation, " I don't carry my diplo- 
matic burden with me always. Even a peddler is free 
from his pack sometimes, you know." 

" But such heavy responsibilities," murmured Mrs. 
Layton vaguely. 

' ' I try to leave them at the Department, ' ' he returned 
pleasantly. " When I close my front door behind me 
I like to shut out all perplexities and vexations. One's 
home should be one's oasis in the desert of work-a-day 
life. Don 't you think so ? " 

Mrs. Layton made an indefinite reply, and their voices 
were lost in the general hum of conversation. 

The Eussian Attache leaned forward that he might 
better see his companion's face, which was somewhat in 
the shadow. 

' ' You will oblige me, will you not ? " he said softly. 

A moment's silence ensued, during which the musical 
splash of the fountain was distinctly audible. 

' ' I fear I must ask you to excuse me, Count, ' ' she said 
at last slowly, " I have no time to make the translation 
you desire." 

He shrugged his shoulders indifferently. 

" You have many guests to-night, Madame," he re- 
marked carelessly, as though dismissing the previous 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 57 

topic. " I recognized a face just now I had not seen in 
years. The world is small, is it not ? ' ' 

" Too small," assented Mrs. Redmond briefly, again 
absorbed in her slipper. 

' ' It was the new British Attache, ' ' he resumed reflect- 
ively. " Perhaps, Madame, you also remember him." 

" I do not think so," she replied, opening her fan, 
" but I did not hear his name distinctly. What is it?" 

" I knew him," said Count Valdmir, " in Berlin." 

The fan paused in its slow motion and the lace bor- 
dering the bosom of her gown moved suddenly. 

" Yes?" she said in a carefully modulated voice. 

' ' His name, Madame, is Lyndhurst. ' ' 

The fan slipped from Mrs. Redmond's fingers and fell 
upon the marble floor of the conservatory. He stooped 
and returned it with a slight bow. 

" The stick is broken, Madame. Ivory and marble 
were never meant to clash. It is a pity. ' ' 

Mrs. Redmond rose and closed her broken fan. 

" We will return to the ballroom," she said quietly. 
' ' I am neglecting my guests. ' ' 

" And I," he responded, also rising regretfully, " was 
engaged for the waltz just past; also for the one now 
in progress. I am not often so remiss as to forget my 
engagements, but in your society, Madame, one should 
not be held responsible for a lapse of memory. Shall 
we go?" 

As he stepped back to allow his companion to pass 
Count Valdmir unceremoniously bumped into a short, 
stout man, who, followed by Senator Byrd, had just 
entered the conservatory. 

' ' My dear sir, ' ' he exclaimed apologetically, ' ' a thou- 
sand pardons!" 



58 THE WIFE OF 

" My dear sir," returned the stout gentleman 
promptly, " I will gladly grant you ten thousand." 

"Always go a Dago one better, Byrd, " he remarked 
as they passed on, " you'll find it a good rule. When I 
meet 'em I 'm overflowing with civility, just as they are, 
and I treat 'em all alike, just as I call 'em all Dagos 
regardless of nationality." 

" You don't appreciate your social privileges," re- 
turned Senator Byrd, laughing; " many of them are 
first-rate fellows. And you must admit they are popu- 
lar." 

" Damned popular!" agreed his companion emphati- 
cally. "Just look at the women. Always ready to jump 
if they whistle. Even Mrs. Redmond continually has 
that Russian fox at her elbow, and I saw your pretty 
little red-haired girl sitting in a corner with the latest 
John Bull, utterly oblivious to the rest of the world. 
I tell you, I don't like 'em. Americans are good enough 
for me. ' ' 

The Hon. Joshua Grimes was a specimen of that type 
of United States politician so invaluable to cartoonists. 
Fat, bald-headed, irascible, and quick-witted, he had 
long ago made himself solid with his party, and for 
many years represented a country district to the mutual 
satisfaction of himself and his constituents, finding time 
meanwhile to keep an eye to his own interests and the 
accumulation of the almighty dollar, without which, he 
was wont to remark, a man could do nothing in this 
country or any other. 

" I don't suppose," remarked Senator Byrd as the 
Member of Congress paused for breath, " I don't sup- 
pose you asked me to come in here simply to abuse the 
Diplomatic Corps." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 59 

' ' Well, no, I didn 't. Fact is, Byrd, I wanted to show 
you something I picked up just outside the ballroom 
door." 

Senator Byrd responded to the greeting of a passing 
acquaintance and turned again to his companion. 

" Well?" he said interrogatively. 

Mr. Grimes produced two scraps of paper, creased and 
dirty, as though crumpled into a ball and thrown away, 
and smoothed them out carefully. They were so covered 
with pencil-marks and erasures as to be almost illegible. 
He handed them to Senator Byrd without comment. 

" Well," said the Senator after a moment's scrutiny, 
" this seems to be a rough draft of something, I should 
say, but I doubt if I can make it out. ' ' 

" I can," returned the other impassively; " thought 
I couldn't at first, then found I could just like most 
things in life. Now listen." 

The two men drew closer together as the Member of 
Congress lowered his voice. 

" This," he said, indicating the top paper, "is so 
erased and scratched up I cannot make anything out of 
it, but here, at the bottom of the second page, is a per- 
fectly intelligible sentence. ' Will meet you Thursday 
night and bring Roostchook papers. ' 

"And that is what I wanted to show you," he added 
dryly; " just at this time it is both interesting and 
puzzling. ' ' 

Senator Byrd made no reply. He was examining the 
pieces of paper, which were fastened together in the 
upper left-hand corner by a bit of red, white, and blue 
cord. The Senator touched it and looked up in- 
quiringly. 

" Yes," said the stout Member of Congress quietly, 



60 THE WIFE OF 

"it is the State Department symbol. Now the ques- 
tion is " 

"Ah," returned the Senator slowly, " that is the 
question. ' ' 

He moved forward as he spoke and joined the Secre- 
tary, who had been wandering about the handsome 
rooms chatting with first one and then another in the 
genial, pleasant manner which made him universally 
popular. Mr. Grimes, meanwhile, twisted the tri-colored 
cord about his finger and admired the effect. 

The Secretary stood in the doorway watching the 
panorama of the ballroom and enjoying the gorgeous 
spectacle; the droop of his shoulders was pronounced 
to-night and the lines about his eyes very apparent to 
the Senator as he studied him for a moment before 
speaking. 

" That is your private secretary dancing with Isabel, 
is it not ? ' ' said Senator Byrd suddenly. 

" I introduced him," replied the Secretary simply. 
" I wanted him to enjoy himself." 

" Yes, no doubt," returned the Senator, laughing. 
" Well, they don't either of them seem bored. 

" I hope," he added with sudden seriousness, as the 
two young people were lost in the crowd, " that your 
judgment of Mr. Leigh is correct. Appearances are 
much against him. I hope you have made no mistake. ' ' 

' ' Perhaps I have, ' ' said the Secretary quietly ; ' ' time 
alone will tell." 

"Ah!" exclaimed Senator Byrd, " here is Mrs. Red- 
mond dancing with du Pre. ' ' 

Involuntarily the Secretary held himself more erect, 
and the eyes which followed his wife's graceful form 
were no longer strained and weary, but met her smiling 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 61 

glance with one equally cheerful as he waved his hand 
with a slight gesture of greeting. Mr. and Mrs. Red- 
mond always exchanged a glance and smile even after 
a short separation. 

Monsieur du Pre was proficient in the art of waltzing 
and guided his partner skilfully down the long room. 
He was conscious that he was the cynosure of all be- 
holders and much enjoyed his position, for Mrs. Red- 
moned danced with a grace which made her movements 
the poetry of motion. The fiery crescent shone bril- 
liantly against her dark hair, while the glowing jewels 
about her waist added a touch of living color inde- 
scribably effective. 

No wonder the Secretary's eyes followed his wife as 
long as she was visible. 

And no wonder the Hon. Cecil Lyndhurst, lounging 
in an opposite doorway, stared in a manner not wholly 
consistent with good breeding. 

That gentleman, however, slowly retired to a smoking- 
room, where he mixed himself a rather stiff brandy and 
soda. 

' The Khedive's opals," he ejaculated as he pressed 
the siphon. " By Jove! The Khedive's opals." 



62 THE WIFE OF 



VI 



MRS. KEDMOND stood in the deserted ballrooms and 
waited for her husband. The sense of emptiness which 
follows in the wake of departed festivity pervaded the 
house ; withered roses drooped dejectedly, now and then 
letting fall petals brown and shrunken at the edges; 
while the footsteps of the servants sounded strange and 
unreal as they moved about in the distance, extinguish- 
ing lights and closing windows. 

The ball had been an unquestionable success, but the 
hostess was tired, as her pale cheeks and the violet 
shadows beneath her eyes testified indisputably. She 
had neglected no one; even the most impossible girls 
had been provided for, and consequently gone home 
complacently reflecting that their charms had at last 
begun to be appreciated. Therefore she should have 
retired to well-earned repose with a comfortable sense of 
duty well performed. 

On the contrary, however, Mrs. Redmond's eyes were 
widely opened, gazing abstractedly into space, and her 
breath came in little gasps through her parted lips. She 
had removed her gloves and occasionally raised her hand 
to her throat, as though the weight of her necklace op- 
pressed her. A scarcely perceptible sound caused her 
to turn towards the empty drawing-room and start im- 
pulsively in that direction. Pausing suddenly, after 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 63 

taking a few steps, she stood irresolute, as though un- 
decided whether to retreat or advance. 

Again from the next room came a muffled noise, as 
of a heavy piece of furniture carefully moved. Mrs. 
Redmond leaned forward, listening intently, then 
walked quietly towards the communicating door, lifting 
her skirts carefully that they might not rustle. 

The large drawing-room was dimly lighted now, and 
at a casual glance appeared quite empty. Closer inspec- 
tion, however, revealed a figure at the farther end a 
man moving slowly, his head bent forward as though 
to better examine every inch of floor surface he tra- 
versed. Occasionally he paused to shake out the folds 
of a curtain or lift a cushion from a chair, and once or 
twice dropped hastily upon one knee and carefully 
sifted a little heap of faded rose-leaves or raised the 
corner of a rug and looked beneath it, then resumed his 
journey round the room. 

And Mrs. Redmond followed, step by step, down the 
long parlor and through the little reception-room into 
the hall beyond, pausing when he paused and noiselessly 
advancing when he resumed his line of march. 

Across the hall they went, still unobserved, into the 
library and straight to the large mahogany desk used 
by the Secretary when at home. Now it is difficult to 
distinguish objects when the light is dim, and it was 
therefore necessary to stoop closely over the various let- 
ters and papers hi order to decipher them, and even to 
turn on the electric light, which stood upon the desk, 
thus producing an unexpectedly bright illumination. 
In an instant the searcher had adjusted the shade, but 
not before his profile had been distinctly vignetted 
against the dark, wainscoted wall, plainly visible to the 



64 THE WIFE OF 

woman behind him, who, with a stifled gasp of surprised 
recognition, drew hastily back, folding the dark por- 
tiere about her white gown and standing motionless in 
the doorway, keenly observant of every detail. 

Evidently the quest was unsuccessful, for he extin- 
guished the light and left the room, passing so close to 
Mrs. Redmond that his shoulder stirred the sheltering 
portiere and almost touched her arm. And she stood 
erect and motionless, making no sound nor effort to de- 
tain him, while the color gradually returned to her 
cheeks and her eyes shone with repressed excitement. 

The latch of the front door clicked softly, and a breath 
of cool air stirred the heavy atmosphere of the deserted 
hall. 

" James," said the Secretary's voice from the stairs, 
" you may put out the lights and go to bed; the house 
can be set to rights in the morning." 

The tensity of Mrs. Redmond's attitude relaxed sud- 
denly as with an exclamation of relief she released the 
portiere and started into the hall to meet her husband. 

" Poor dear," she said sympathetically, extending 
both hands in greeting, " how tired you look. Come 
into the dining-room and forage; I know you haven't 
eaten a morsel, and neither have I, and I'm starving 
positively starving." 

The Secretary laughed and allowed himself to be 
gently pulled in the direction of the dining-room, where 
the lights still burned and glass and silver glittered in- 
vitingly. 

" Sit down," said Mrs. Redmond, relinquishing his 
hands and pulling up a chair, " and I'll get you some- 
thing. Oh, yes, John, let me, I love so to do it, and 
you know it will taste better than if a waiter brings it. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 65 

See, here is salad and wine, and some of those nice, 
crispy little rolls." 

" Wait," she continued, setting the plate before him, 
' ' don 't be greedy, John wait till I 'm ready too. ' ' 

She drew another chair close to her husband and 
tasted the salad critically. 

" The best part of the ball," she remarked conclu- 
sively, " is when we eat whatever we can find all by 
ourselves and talk it over. I've been looking forward 
to this for hours and so have you. Now, don't try to 
deny it, I know you have." 

" You are irresistible to-night, Estelle," returned the 
Secretary fondly. " Your opals are on fire, child, and 
so are your eyes." 

The jewel at her throat glowed triumphantly, as 
though in acknowledgment of this involuntary tribute 
to its beauty, but a sudden mistiness clouded the blue 
eyes, which darkened and softened as the Secretary 
leaned forward, taking her face between his hands, and 
gazed earnestly into them. 

" I am very proud of my wife," he said gently. 

And the opal changed from red to blue, fading cold 
and colorless in the shadow of his hands. 

' ' By the way, ' ' he continued, resuming his fork after 
a moment's silence, " I thought I heard the front door 
close just now. Did you notice who came in?" 

Mrs. Redmond crumbled a bit of bread and swept the 
fragments into a little heap on the damask cloth. 

" It was Mr. Leigh," she replied quietly, " but he 
didn't come in, John, he went out." 



66 THE WIFE OF 



VII 



THE moon is a long way from the earth, yet it some- 
times looks near at hand and almost within reach. Occa- 
sionally, also, one falls a victim to its glamour, and when 
under the spell of its enchantment forgets there is such 
a thing as distance. 

Then, gradually, the soft light vanishes; the earth is 
no longer a Place Beautiful, but degenerates into a 
treadmill where one must keep moving or fall by the 
wayside ; and the moon itself is discovered to be merely 
a luminous body, with no power of enchantment what- 
ever; in short, the spell is broken and the distance very 
apparent. 

As David Leigh awoke the morning after Mrs. Ked- 
mond's ball he was conscious of a vague sensation of 
guiding a slender, white-gowned figure through a 
crowded room to the dreamy rhythm of a well-played 
waltz. This agreeable vision was gradually replaced by 
the unpleasant reality that the furnace made not the 
slightest impression on Mrs. Colson's north room, and 
that breakfast was in progress below; an odor of beef- 
steak wafted to his unwilling nostrils aided him in 
reaching the latter conclusion, and he also believed the 
steak to be accompanied by fried potatoes. 

Plainly it was time for the Secretary's secretary to be 
up and doing, for another day had announced itself and 
the doors of the State Department would shortly be un- 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 67 

locked, ready for the usual routine. The click of the 
typewriter would sound instead of the voice of the vio- 
lin; office furniture and accessories would replace the 
flower-decked ballroom; and politicians with silk hats 
and immaculate waistcoats would claim his attention 
instead of Isabel Byrd in her dainty gown. Isabel, who 
because of her gray eyes with their long, black lashes, 
and for other inscrutable reasons, suddenly became the 
One Girl in his small world as he inscribed his name 
on her programme and waited with ill-concealed impa- 
tience for his dance. Isabel last night a delightful 
vision, but a girl, and therefore to be won ; this morning 
very much the daughter of Senator Byrd and quite out 
of the question. 

At first his recollections of the previous night were 
vaguely centred about the one face and figure, but as he 
opened his eyes and mechanically sat upright Leigh was 
overwhelmed by a sudden rush of memory. Certain 
facts flashed across his mind with startling distinctness, 
and he sank down among the pillows, turning his back 
upon the gray light of the winter morning from which 
he would fain retire. 

" Past eight, Mr. Leigh." 

This announcement was accompanied by a knock on 
the door, repeated after a silent interval in a slightly 
more imperative manner. 

"And anybody 'd think, to hear the grumpiness of 
him, that it was meself askin' a favor, instid o' doin' 
one," muttered Norah with an indignant toss of her 
head as she retreated after eliciting a brief but pungent 
response from within. 

It was a rather pale, depressed-looking young man 
who " troubled" Mrs. Colson for a cup of strong coffee 



68 THE WIFE OF 

some fifteen minutes later and swallowed it hastily, with 
no apparent realization of the fact that it was near the 
boiling-point. 

" What do you think his throat is made of?" in- 
quired Mrs. Colson generally, as David left the table 
after a hurried pretext at breakfast. 

" The same material as your own, I suppose," re- 
turned Miss Jackson tartly, fingering and refusing 
several pieces of bread preparatory to putting up her 
lunch. Miss Jackson's manners, like her shoes, were 
somewhat down at the heel in the morning; the pros- 
pect of the long hours which must be passed in the seclu- 
sion of the Treasury Department lent an acidity to her 
whole aspect, and she buttered her bread disdainfully, 
as though repudiating any personal connection there- 
with. 

" Don't you think," remarked Mrs. Colson sotto voce 
as Miss Jackson in turn sought the front door, " that 
dear Miss Jackson looks very old and peaked this win- 
ter?" 

And there was a general murmur of assent from Miss 
Jackson's friends and associates. 

At the State Department much was waiting for will- 
ing or unwilling hands to do. The Secretary was late 
in arriving, and the daily mountain of mail accumulated 
on his desk awaiting his signature. Leigh turned it over 
meditatively. Here were routine matters prepared by 
various branches of the Department and apparently of 
no particular interest to the private secretary, for he 
passed them by with a casual glance; here too was the 
incoming mail, and he looked through it also, sifting 
it rapidly and laying certain papers aside for the per- 
sonal attention of the Secretary; taking various others 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 69 

to his own desk in the small adjoining room he began 
to dispose of them mechanically, but suddenly he paused, 
and resting his arms on the desk bowed his head upon 
them. 

" There must be some way out of it," he ejaculated 
aloud, " some other way." 

It was Diplomatic Day, and the representatives of 
various countries began to assemble in the room set apart 
for their use before the Secretary arrived. He came in 
hastily, accompanied by Senator Byrd. 

" You say the President demands an explanation?" 
observed the latter as they entered. 

" He demands the papers themselves," replied Mr. 
Redmond in a troubled voice ; "he says their disap- 
pearance is incredible. I almost think he believes 

" No," interrupted the Senator hastily, " impos- 
sible 

" His manner was extremely frigid," continued the 
Secretary, unlocking a drawer in his desk; "he de- 
clined to discuss the Roostchook matter, but gave me this 
synopsis of the policy he desired to pursue, remarking 
that it was difficult to handle a case of this sort from 
memory alone, and he trusted I would make an effort 
to produce the other papers and draw up a memoran- 
dum for him containing a few facts, as he disliked 
dealing in generalities and wanted to issue his ulti- 
matum. ' ' 

"And his policy?" 

The Secretary's fingers tapped nervously against a 
long envelope he drew from his pocket, and he sank 
wearily into the brown leather chair beside his desk 
before replying. 

" It means," he said slowly, "if he persists (and I 



70 THE WIFE OF 

think he will), war with Russia and eventually with 
England. It means needless sacrifice of life and un- 
necessary expenditure of money; fatherless children; 
tears, and the bitterness of desolation to many women; 
and perhaps a little glory for a favored few. That is 
what the President's policy means to the country." 

Leigh turned uneasily in his swivel-chair. He was in 
plain sight from the adjoining room, but his presence 
was overlooked or ignored by both men, and the Secre- 
tary began to speak again in short, jerky sentences, as 
though simply voicing his thoughts. 

"If we had been given time time to negotiate 
further. If we conceded certain points, even while in- 
sisting upon our rights. I meant to mediate to be 
conciliatory. I meant to keep the peace." 

" The country is unprepared," said Senator Byrd 
gravely; " war means defeat and humiliation, not vic- 
tory and triumph. Can you not use your influence ? ' ' 

" My influence," said the Secretary quietly, " van- 
ished with the Eoostchook papers. The President was 
not himself to-day; his manner was extraordinary, to 
say the least. I don't like it, Byrd; I don't like it." 

" Well," said Senator Byrd, taking up his hat, " we 
must do what we can to avert trouble. At least we will 
go slowly. The Senate will not favor anything precipi- 
tate, but I am not so sure about the House. However, 
I will see Rivers and Grimes, and we will keep it quiet 
for a few weeks longer if possible. Meanwhile, the other 
papers may turn up." 

" The plan of defence of New York Harbor is miss- 
ing," said the Secretary slowly. " Do you realize what 

that means just now? And we have no idea What 

is it, Mr. Leigh?" 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 71 

For the private secretary had approached his chief 
with a hesitating reminder of the waiting diplomats. 

" Yes, certainly," responded the Secretary, putting 
the envelope he held into the open drawer and turning 
the key, " I should have remembered, and I have not 
even looked at my morning's mail." 

He sighed impatiently, then rose and squared his 
shoulders resolutely. 

" I will receive the Ambassador from Great Britain," 
he announced as he passed into the long, ebony-trimmed 
reception-room. 

An hour later Leigh was conscious of a subdued rustle 
in the Secretary's office, accompanied by a subtle per- 
fume, and, turning hastily, beheld as much of Miss 
Isabel Byrd as the large sable muff she carried would 
permit. 

" Dear me," remarked that young person as he came 
quickly forward, " what a very serious sort of a place. 
I really feel as though I were in church and should 
whisper. And you look grave and important enough, 
Mr. Leigh, to officiate as the lay reader. Is it possible 
that you actually danced with me last night?" 

" Wasn't it a jolly ball?" said Leigh eagerly, boyish 
and attractive in an instant. " I hope, Miss Byrd, 
you are not tired out this morning. You look as fit as 
possible. ' ' 

Isabel laughed and remarked that she had come down 
to meet her father, but believed he had forgotten his 
appointment. 

" Why," said David, smiling, " the Senator has been 
here and gone up to the Capitol. I fear he did forget, 
Miss Byrd." 

" In that case," she replied, taking up her muff, " I 



72 THE WIFE OF 

won't wait any longer. Perhaps, Mr. Leigh, you can 
tell me how to find the State Department Library. I 
wanted to look up something there, and father was going 
to help me. It's awfully tiresome in him to forget. I 
haven't a bit of sense about doing such things for 
myself. ' ' 

" If I could be of any assistance," began David 
eagerly, " I should be only too glad. Oh, no, Miss 
Byrd," as she made a faint protest, " I have plenty of 
time there is no reason I should not help you. ' ' 

The deceitful moon again seemed almost within reach 
as the swing door closed behind them and he touched 
the button for the elevator which would lift him far 
above such mundane trifles as official correspondence and 
a threatened international crisis. 

Behind the brass screen in the now empty room the 
wood-fire snapped and crackled cheerfully. The sun- 
light shone through the large south windows, gilding 
even the sober bindings of the corpulent volumes of law 
and jurisprudence in the revolving bookcase and touch- 
ing gently the Secretary's pens, placed in an orderly 
row on their rack, his brown leather chair, and the 
bronze paper-weight on the blotter. But the full force 
of the sun was concentrated upon the handle of the 
key the Secretary had left in the upper right-hand 
drawer of his desk, which shone and twinkled irresisti- 
bly, audaciously drawing attention to itself and seem- 
ing to proclaim to whom it might concern, 

" Here I am, ready and waiting, come and turn me." 

To the Secretary, seated at the head of the long, 
ebony-trimmed table, the morning was interminable. 
He had received the Ambassador from Great Britain, 
and had managed so well that the latter had retired 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 73 

pleased with himself and the world in general. The 
Chinese Minister too had paid his respects and delivered 
a message from his sovereign containing protestations 
of friendship and endless fidelity, and the Secretary had 
replied in kind. Lesser lights in the diplomatic world 
called and delivered their credentials or brought docu- 
ments from their respective Governments. The Am- 
bassador from Russia had also called. 

It seemed to the Secretary as he pondered anxiously 
over the last-mentioned interview that it was not en- 
tirely satisfactory; there had been an assertive man- 
ner about his visitor as unwelcome as it was unexpected, 
and the request he preferred seemed to assume the na- 
ture of a demand when calmly considered afterwards. 
So the lines on the Secretary's forehead deepened as he 
sat abstractedly in the long, handsome room and the 
minutes passed unnoticed. 

Suddenly he became aware of a quick rustle of skirts, 
and two soft hands were clasped over his eyes. 

" Guess," said a voice close to his ear, " guess which 
country I represent." 

' ' Why, Estelle, ' ' he exclaimed in accents which would 
have surprised the Russian Minister, " what brings you 
here? And how very pretty you look, my dear." 

" Do I ? " said Mrs. Redmond, immediately consulting 
the mirror. " I'm so glad. I like to look my very best 
when I come to see you." 

" But suppose someone else had come in?" 

" They are all gone, John long ago. I waited ages 
all alone out in your office, and you were in such a 
brown study you never heard me open the door behind 
you. Every now and then I looked in. Now I want 
something can you guess what?" 



74 THE WIFE OF 

" Money," hazarded the Secretary, in the light of 
past experience. 

" No," said Mrs. Redmond, laughing, " not this time. 
Try again." 

" I am not good at guessing." 

" Nor at remembering. Don't you know this is our 
anniversary ? ' ' 

" We were married in April," said the Secretary, 
smiling. " I remember it very well. The sixteenth. 
This is December! ' ' 

" Have you forgotten that December day in Paris 
when we dined in the Latin Quarter?" 

" No," said the Secretary, drawing her nearer to 
him, ' ' no, Estelle, certainly not. ' ' 

" The butter without salt," she continued breath- 
lessly, " the dear old dingy room, and the white 
wine 

" Tasting like vinegar," he supplemented. " I re- 
member. ' ' 

" It tasted like nectar to me," she said dreamily, 
" and afterwards oh, John, you do remember?" 

" Of course," he said quickly. " Why, Estelle, how 
could I forget?" 

' ' You have never regretted it, John ? I was poor and 
obscure and lonely. Sometimes I think you asked me 
out of pity." 

" Estelle," said the Secretary, looking earnestly into 
her eyes, " listen to me. My only pleasure in life, my 
only happiness, is centred in you ; without you I should 
not care to live. The wonder is, child, that you should 
love so old a man." 

11 Well, I do," said Mrs. Redmond between tears and 
laughter, " and, dear me, how serious we have grown! 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 75 

What I came for was to take you out with me. I know 
a little French pension, and we can lunch there all by 
ourselves. I mean to order just what we had that day; 
I remember it all even the salad." 

"And so do I," said the Secretary, laughing and 
opening the door. " I am charmed to lunch with you, 
Mrs. Redmond, although I don 't recall the viands with 
a marked degree of pleasure." 

"And afterwards," said Mrs. Redmond softly, " we 
will go home together; you must not come back here 
to-day it is mine. We'll be comfy and happy. You 
shall sit and smoke on one side of the fire and I'll sit 
there too, on the same side, and we'll talk about Paris, 
and Venice, and the old days. Come, John." 

They passed into the private office just as the outer 
door opened to admit David Leigh, and Mrs. Redmond 
paused to greet him while her husband put on his over- 
coat. 

" Mr. Leigh," said the Secretary, after a cursory 
glance at his desk, " I am going out and I shall not 
return this afternoon. The Assistant Secretary will 
sign." 

A sudden flash of light from the shining key caught 
his eye, and he removed it from the drawer and placed 
it on his key-ring, while Mrs. Redmond moved towards 
the door and beckoned impatiently. 

" You will please look over my mail, Mr. Leigh," 
continued the Secretary as he joined his wife, " and I 
don't think there is anything else to keep you here this 
afternoon. No doubt you can find good use for the 
tune elsewhere." 

He nodded kindly as he closed the door, but his 
private secretary stood stupidly in the centre of the 



76 THE WIFE OF 

room gazing at the desk with its pile of papers and 
empty chair. Something white lay on the floor at his 
feet and he stooped to pick it up. It proved to be a 
dainty handkerchief, perfumed and embroidered. Leigh 
folded it carefully as he crossed the room and looked 
out of the window over the broad expanse of The Mall 
with eyes which saw nothing of the wintry landscape. 

" I was gone for two hours," he remarked to an in- 
quisitive sparrow which sought shelter from the wind 
on the stone window-sill, " two whole hours." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 77 



VIII 



MR. MARKS, scientist and man of erudition, sought 
David Leigh in his apartment at Mrs. Colson's one 
evening as the latter was putting the finishing-touches 
to his toilet preparatory to dining with a party of young 
men at the Alibi Club. 

" I trust," said he with laborious politeness, " that 
I do not incommode you by my unceremonious appear- 
ance." 

" Not a bit of it," replied David cheerfully. " Can't 
you find a chair? Oh, just shove those things off on 
the floor and sit down anywhere. I'm rather in a mess 
just now, as you see. ' ' 

David devoted his entire attention to his necktie, and 
when he considered it beyond criticism looked in- 
quiringly at his visitor. 

" Mr. Leigh," said that gentleman with the air of a 
man who makes an astonishing announcement, " I pro- 
pose to spend a portion of this evening calling upon a 
young lady." 

" Do you?" said David cordially. " Now, I call that 
uncommonly wise on your part. But why only a por- 
tion?" 

" My paper, intended for the Scientific American. 
showing the development of the monkey into the man is 
yet unfinished," returned Mr. Marks stiffly, " hence but 
a few hours each evening can be devoted to frivolity. ' ' 



78 THE WIFE OF 

" Too bad!" said David sympathetically. " Now, I 
am afraid I should be inclined to chuck the monkey 
business and make it the whole evening of course, how- 
ever, that depends on the girl." 

" You seem conversant with the ordinary phases of 
social life," resumed Mr. Marks rather patronizingly, 
" while I have had but little leisure to study them, 
being occupied with more important and serious pur- 
suits. In calling upon a young lady what, for instance, 
is your idea of a seemly topic of conversation?" 

Mr. Marks was a deep and unfailing source of pleas- 
ure to David who delighted in drawing him out, always 
sure of being rewarded for this trouble. 

" The young lady herself," he now returned 
promptly, carefully adjusting his cuff -button. 

Mr. Marks made a note of this reply on the back of 
his visiting-card. 

" I thought," he explained, " that I would just jot 
down a few topics and hold the card in my hand so. 
Then when one subject was exhausted I could glance 
carelessly down and introduce another." 

"A most excellent idea," said David gravely, " and 
original too. What had you thought of jotting?" 

" Well," said Mr. Marks, " I begin with Professor 
Bristow's paper upon metallurgy. Most interesting." 

" No doubt," agreed David suavely. " What else?" 

" I thought I might touch lightly upon Professor 
Green's description of a partial eclipse of the sun in 
Liberia ; there were unusual and most unexpected feat- 
ures connected with it." 

" I would make the touch very light indeed, Mr. 
Marks," suggested David. " Why not mention the 
weather, or the theatre, or perhaps the last new book ? ' ' 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 79 

" The latest book of note," observed Mr. Marks, 
making an entry on his card. " I suppose that would 
embrace either Hendrick's treatise expounding his 
theory on the extinction of the mastodon, or von Weber 's 
' Electricity; Past, Present, and Future' a master- 
piece, Mr. Leigh, a masterpiece." 

David turned and regarded him curiously. 

" Mr. Marks," he said anxiously, " search your mem- 
ory. Did you never frivol?" 

" I do not think," said Mr. Marks reflectively, " that 
I recall the exact definition of the word." 

David broke into delighted and irrepressible laughter. 

' ' Brace up, man, brace up ! " he exclaimed, slapping 
the surprised scientist on the shoulder. " Read a few 
novels, the more sentimental the better; go to the 
theatre; never mind whether we descended from 
monkeys or not; for my part, I don't care to know the 
exact truth. ' ' 

Mr. Marks shuffled his feet uneasily; he wore green 
carpet slippers with a pink rose over the toes thereof, 
and his white stockings wrinkled loosely around the 
ankle. 

" One should keep in touch with the questions of the 
day, ' ' he observed pompously. 

" Now look here," said David as he brushed his hat, 
" go out and see girls every evening for a while, but 
for Heaven's sake don't talk to them about mastodons 
and metallurgy. If you can't think of anything to say, 
just sit still and look pleasant and let them do the 
talking. You might send the one you like best a few 
flowers, you know, or something of that sort." 

" I had thought of that," confessed Mr. Marks, " but 
I feared I might compromise myself unduly by such a 



80 THE WIFE OF 

very marked attention. I wish to arouse no false hopes, 
Mr. Leigh." 

David assured him he might safely invest in the 
flowers, then paused and looked with interest at his 
companion. 

" Mr. Marks," he remarked seriously, " what you 
need is to see life. There's lots of it all around you; 
Washington is just full of real, vital, pulsating life. 
Go out and find it. Take my advice, drop your ologies 
and isms for a while and live. You'll find it pays in 
the long run. ' ' 

" Perhaps it does," acquiesced Mr. Marks thought- 
fully, " perhaps it does." 

He rose and started for the door, but lingered uncer- 
tainly. 

" I am going to see Miss Gray," he announced 
abruptly. ' ' Have you any message ? ' ' 

" My regards, of course," replied David carelessly. 
"I'm really ashamed when I think I have never called 
upon her since she left here. ' ' 

Mr. Marks slowly retreated to his hall bedroom and 
made his toilet with unwonted care. A pot of white 
hyacinths in full bloom loaded the room with their over- 
powering fragrance. It would seem that he made his 
purchases first and asked advice afterwards. 

Mr. Marks proceeded to comb his stiff, light-brown 
hair directly upward above his massive brow and assume 
a clean collar ; also a large cravat which hooked behind, 
thus presenting a hard, black surface in front, not unlike 
a funereal pincushion, and brushed his coat carefully. 
It was of good quality broadcloth, therefore the fact 
that it wrinkled in the back and was several inches too 
short in the sleeves disturbed his serenity not at all; 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 81 

nor did the manner in which his trousers crept far above 
his shoetops whenever he sat down seem in the least im- 
portant, for the higher stratas of Mr. Marks 's brain had 
been carefully cultivated to the entire exclusion of all 
mundane trifles. He then took from the window the 
pot of hyacinths, wrapped it carefully in newspaper, 
and prepared to go out. 

It was very cold. The December wind penetrated 
to the marrow of his bones, while the paper about the 
hyacinths fluttered alarmingly as he resolutely forged 
his way across Lafayette Park, regardless of the fine, 
cold rain which fell steadily. Finally the wind, after 
pausing for an instant, rushed down Pennsylvania 
Avenue and through the park with renewed vigor, carry- 
ing with it Mr. Marks 's box-shaped derby as well as 
the paper about the flowers. 

The hat rolled rapidly down the path with Mr. 
Marks in hot pursuit, and finally brought up abruptly 
against the iron railing surrounding the statue of Jack- 
son on his rampant steed. Breathless, but triumphant, 
the man of science clutched his property. He also 
clutched something else. A flat package carefully 
wrapped in thick brown paper had taken refuge against 
the railing, and he tucked it securely beneath his arm. 
' Had quite a chase, didn't you?" remarked the park 
policeman sympathetically, readjusting the hyacinths, 
which were considerably the worse for the run. 

" He might 'a' had a civil word for a body," muttered 
that functionary as Mr. Marks absently marched off 
without replying. 

From the rear of General Jackson now appeared a 
second wet, wind-tossed figure, anxiously scanning the 
ground. 

6 



82 THE WIFE OF 

' ' I say, ' ' it remarked abruptly, " I 've lost a package, 
you know. Didn 't happen to see it, did you ? ' ' 

' ' Was it flat and long and wrapped in brown paper ? ' ' 
inquired the policeman deliberately. 

' ' Yes, ' ' said the figure hurriedly, ' ' yes, that 's it. ' ' 

" T'other chap picked it up," said the arm of the 
law indifferently; " he went that a- way," pointing 
vaguely towards the Avenue and resuming his measured 
pacing to and fro as the other started in pursuit of the 
unconscious Mr. Marks. 

Having made the circuit of the park, he again drew 
near the Jackson statue in the centre, where he encoun- 
tered a woman wrapped in a long, dark cloak and vainly 
trying to breast the buffeting of the wind. She grasped 
the iron railing for support as she accosted him, and he 
observed that her hand was small and daintily gloved, 
although her face was completely hidden by a thick veil. 

" I have been so unfortunate as to lose a long, flat 
package wrapped in brown paper," she said hastily; 
' ' perhaps you may have seen it. ' ' 

The policeman was getting familiar with this formula. 

" You aren't the only one that's lost such a bundle 
to-night," he returned curiously, and proceeded to give 
her all the information he possessed. 

With a hasty word of thanks she sped away in the 
direction indicated, while he watched her fluttering 
draperies disappear in the distance. 

"Well, I'm blowed!" he ejaculated fervently, "I 
certainly am blowed ! ' ' 

Meanwhile Mr. Marks pursued the even tenor of his 
way, totally unconscious of having annexed another per- 
son 's property. 

Christine Gray had been forced to leave the genteel 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 83 

shelter of Mrs. Colson's roof for a cheaper abiding-place, 
and had accordingly transferred herself and her belong- 
ings to a house within the limits of the sixty dollars a 
month which must provide food and lodging as well as 
raiment for an apparently indefinite period. Life in 
the War Department, with the recreation and bodily 
nourishment afforded by a second-class boarding-house, 
was not a particularly healthy existence for a young 
and pretty girl, but Christine as yet enjoyed the novelty 
of being closely occupied, and might be said to rival 
even the little busy bee of copy-book renown, inasmuch 
as she had so far managed to extract honey from weeds 
as well as flowers. 

On this particular evening she had perched herself 
on the side of her bed, having installed her sister in the 
one comfortable chair the room contained, after forcibly 
depriving her of her hat and coat. Mary Gray had 
lately completed her course of training at a large hos- 
pital, and the rare evenings she could spend with her 
sister were highly prized. The younger girl also looked 
forward eagerly to these visits and had settled herself 
to recount even the most minute trifles which had 
occurred since their last meeting. 

" Oh, dear," she exclaimed dismally as Mr. Marks 's 
card was handed her, ' ' to think he should come to-night. 
Well, I'll be just as stupid and quiet as I can, and per- 
haps he won 't stay long. ' ' 

Consequently it was a distraite and preoccupied dam- 
sel who listened to poor Mr. Marks 's strenuous efforts to 
be lively and agreeable. In vain did he carelessly glance 
at the card of memoranda in his hand and laboriously 
introduce one subject after another. Christine was 
bored and showed it plainly, and Mr. Marks felt that as 



84 THE WIFE OF 

a social trifler he was a distinct failure. Not yet van- 
quished, however, he gave a most unnecessary hitch to 
the legs of his trousers, which already permitted the 
display of fully three inches of stocking, and started in 
afresh. 

" Professor Frisbane asserted the other day, during 
a brief conversation with me," he remarked learnedly, 
" that, in his opinion, direct communication with the 
planet Mars was a mere matter of time. ' ' 

" Indeed?" returned Christine vaguely, and silence 
ensued. 

" I have been deeply interested in a series of articles 
now appearing in the Scientific American," volunteered 
Mr. Marks with renewed animation, " which discuss the 
subject of ossification in all its bearings. I will be glad 
to lend them to you. ' ' 

' ' No, please don 't, ' ' replied Christine hurriedly, ' ' I 
mean, I have not any time for reading. ' ' 

A few more topics of general interest were introduced 
by the gentleman and wet-blanketed by the lady, until 
at last, discouraged, he took his leave. When he paused 
in the hall to put on his overcoat he discovered the pot 
of hyacinths and the recently acquired package, both of 
which he had entirely forgotten. Mr. Marks was puzzled 
as to the proper course to pursue, but decided to act 
boldly. Retreating to the doorsteps, he rang a violent 
peal at the bell, and when the maid appeared thrust both 
plant and bundle into her astonished hands. 

" For Miss Gray," he said abruptly, " with my com- 
pliments," and promptly disappeared. 

" He stayed everlastingly, Molly," remarked Chris- 
tine, returning to find her sister putting on her hat, 
" and now you're going. It's too bad." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 85 

" Christine," said Miss Gray as she buttoned her 
coat, ' ' where did you get those roses ? ' ' 

Christine dimpled and glowed as she touched the bowl 
of red roses caressingly. 

" It was Mr. Rivers," she replied, " and oh, Molly, 
he has been so nice. I wanted to tell you all about it. ' ' 

11 The gentleman who has just left sends you these 
with his compliments, Miss," said the maid, appearing 
suddenly. 

Christine impatiently pushed the flowers on one side, 
but curiously untied the stout twine string about the 
package. A second package was disclosed closely sealed 
and labelled. 

" R-double o," spelled Christine slowly. " Oh, it's 
just those old papers he spoke of. As though I wanted 
to read them." 

" What papers?" 

"I'm sure I don't remember, Molly. Rossification or 
ossification or something of that sort." 

" Christine," remarked her sister, slowly drawing on 
her gloves, ' ' I believe Mr. Marks is a good man. ' ' 

' Very worthy, indeed," returned Christine lightly. 
" No doubt he rocked his own cradle to save his mother 
trouble. But it don't follow that I have to read his old 
bundle of papers." 

Mary kissed her sister and turned to depart, but 
paused a moment, her hand on the door-knob. 

" Christine," she said earnestly, " I don't feel com- 
fortable about Mr. Rivers. One hears such strange 
things in Washington. Please be careful, dear." 

" Nonsense," replied Christine equably, "I'm quite 
able to look out for myself, Molly. And then, there's 
Harry." 



86 THE WIFE OF 

" Yes," said Miss Gray as she closed the door, " to 
be sure, there's Harry in Alaska." 

Christine, left alone, hastened to put the blooming 
plant on the outer edge of the window-sill. 

" I do abominate the odor of white hyacinths," she 
remarked as she lowered the shade. 

She then proceeded to clip the stems of the roses and 
put them into fresh water, lingering over the task as 
though she liked it and humming a merry little tune. 
This done, she once more picked up the despised package 
and balanced it on her fingers. 

" Shall I open it?" she deliberated. 

The drawer of the bureau was partly open, displaying 
laces, handkerchiefs, gloves, and ribbons in hopeless con- 
fusion. With a contemptuous motion she tossed the 
package in also. 

" So much for that," she exclaimed aloud. " If he 
wants them again, he can come for them. I don 't expect 
to waste my time reading them." 

Christine now seated herself before the mirror and 
carefully studied the face that was reflected therein. 
She noted the brown hair which lay in little, soft 
rings about the low, white forehead; the large brown 
eyes which smiled back at her through a fringe of long, 
curled lashes ; the rounded cheek, tinted like a shell ; 
the little, rosy ears and the dimpled mouth. And 
Christine lighted another gas-jet that she might have a 
better view. 

After an exhaustive study of the mirror she rose and 
yawned sleepily. 

" I ought to write to Harry," she remarked as she 
put her face into the bowl of roses and inhaled their 
perfume, " but I'm so sleepy I think I'll go to bed. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 87 

And I forgot to tell Molly about the theatre too, but I 
guess it's all right; anyhow, I'm going." 

And in his hall bedroom at Mrs. Colson's Mr. Marks 
was also seated before his mirror. The treatise upon 
the evolution of the monkey into the man lay face down- 
ward upon the floor, and the ink had long since dried 
upon the pen thrust behind his ear. 

" I believe," he said aloud, " that it is a man's duty 
to personally investigate all phases of life in order to 
thoroughly understand existence. I shall begin with the 
social. ' ' 

Mr. Marks ran his fingers rapidly through his upright 
locks and caressed the shadowy little whiskers which 
adorned the turning-point of the jaw-bone. 

" I don't see," he remarked reflectively, removing his 
black cravat, " but that I am as good looking as most 
men. ' ' 



88 THE WIFE OF 



IX 



NOT far from the White House, almost in the shadow 
of the Department of State, stands an old brick house 
whose many-sided walls could, if they desired, tell 
strange stories of the past, and perhaps of the present 
also, for who knows what comedies and tragedies are 
transpiring every day at our very doorsteps? 

It is the Octagon House, a bit of the history of Wash- 
ington a house of memories ; a house of shadows. For 
many years it was untenanted and deserted save by a 
well-authenticated ghost a most unsociable ghost, who 
preferred solitude to the best society and made night a 
thing of terror to curious adventurers. At the present 
time, however, the lower floors are used during the day 
by the Society of American Architects, and the chance 
visitor is shown over it by the janitor, who inhabits the 
top floor, if the latter happens to be at home and 
obligingly disposed. He displays the secret doors, now, 
alas ! with latches and obtrusive hinges ; the unexpected 
closets and mysterious hallways; the subterranean pas- 
sage through which persons well known to history passed 
and repassed during the troubled days of 1812 ; persons 
unknown to history are also said to have had business 
which led them through this passage, and imagination 
runs rampant as one explores the short bit that escaped 
the renovation of Eighteenth Street. One gazes with a 
feeling of awe into the room where the treaty of peace 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 89 

was signed, and with interest at the room where Dolly 
Madison slept during the days the British were in the 
Capitol City and the White House too dangerous for a 
woman. But the visitor is not yet satisfied. 

" Was there not," he asks curiously, " some tragedy 
connected with the house, or with the old Virginian who 
built it?" 

And then perhaps he hears the story of the Octoroon, 
whose uneasy spirit escapes at night from the wall where 
she was incarcerated and moves restlessly about the silent 
rooms looking for her murderer; or the slave locked in 
the attic, who starved rather than submit; or the bride 
who jumped from the top of the spiral staircase ; or 

But the visitor has heard enough and departs, glad to 
get back into the noise and sunshine of everyday life. 
Perhaps, though, he pauses at the front door and looks 
back. Looks through the circular hall and out the win- 
dow opposite into the neglected old walled garden, and 
imagines it again rose-scented, with trim, box-bordered 
paths and close-clipped turf. He sees the rooms ablaze 
with light, echoing to careless laughter and the tap of 
dancing feet ; he sees the host with courtly manners and 
true Southern hospitality, but withal hot-tempered and 
revengeful ; and also in the background he sees the Octo- 
roon. And as he slowly walks up the street he wonders, 
be he never so matter of fact, what happens there at 
night when the doors and windows are closed; if 
But he shrugs his shoulders incredulously as he hails 
a passing car and straightway forgets all about it. 

On a certain wet December evening, however, nothing 
supernatural would have been observed about the Octa- 
gon House had one plucked up courage to venture in. 
On the contrary, a no less thoroughly alive person than 



90 THE WIFE OP 

Count Valdmir sat in the old dining-room and, with the 
assistance of his friend, Colonel St. John, carefully ex- 
amined a map spread out before them upon a rough 
deal table, for the architects were not yet in possession 
and furniture was limited. Heat and light were appar- 
ently limited also, for they wore their overcoats and 
shivered now and then with the penetrating damp of 
the place, while two candles in tin candlesticks did their 
best to accentuate the surrounding darkness, for 
although it was but a little after six o'clock the shades 
of night had settled over the city some time since and 
now held undisturbed sway everywhere. The two men 
sat side by side that they might both look at the map; 
their faces were towards the hall, the door leading into 
which was carefully closed, and with only the blank wall 
behind them. 

There was an alertness about Colonel St. John notice- 
ably different from his former manner; his hair was 
brushed and he had again returned to his razor with 
consequent improvement in his personal appearance. 
His voice too had lost the thin, unpleasant whine, and 
altogether he gave the impression of a man who has 
again some interest in life ; the trembling of his hands, 
however, and a shifty expression in his bloodshot eyes 
betrayed the habitual drunkard. 

' ' Is this the best you can do ? " inquired Count Vald- 
mir abruptly as he scanned the map critically, while his 
companion watched him with keen anxiety. 

" I had so little data on which to work," was the de- 
precating reply; " I did the best I could." 

" But it is not reliable?" 

" Perhaps not entirely." 

" Explain again as concisely as possible." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 91 

The old man leaned forward, his shaking finger indi- 
cating on the map the points to which he referred. 

" This," he said slowly, " is the mouth of the Poto- 
mac ; I could not go below that, naturally. ' ' 

Count Valdmir nodded impatiently, and he continued 
slowly : 

" Here are the outer defences of Washington, Fort 
Hunt and Fort Washington; their garrisons are noted 
on the margin ; these stars show the locations of their 
batteries. This information is tentative merely; I had 
no opportunity to verify it. These red squares indicate 
the beds of submarine mines, also tentative, but pre- 
sumably accurate." 

" Nothing absolute," interrupted Count Valdmir, 
" nothing reliable. Doubtful information, Colonel, is 
sometimes worse than none at all." 

Colonel St. John 's trembling finger followed the course 
of the river upon the map. 

" Here," he continued, " is the Arsenal. I have a 
separate plan of it in my pocket drawn to scale, setting 
forth the strength and location of all the batteries in 
great detail. This information is not tentative; I 
drew the plan myself from personal observation and 
know it to be correct. There are improvements in pro- 
cess of erection there, and I had private access to the 
grounds. ' ' 

He produced a sketch as he spoke and the two bent 
over it with interest. 

" How did you get this information, Colonel?" in- 
quired Count Valdmir suddenly. 

Colonel St. John smiled. It was not a pleasant smile, 
and his bushy eyebrows were drawn together over his 
bleared blue eyes. 



92 THE WIFE OF 

" I have an acquaintance employed in the War De- 
partment," he said slowly, " who was kind enough to 
show me around one day. He had access to the files; 
also he owes me much money. ' ' 

Count Valdmir nodded comprehendingly. 

" The result of an evening or so at Jackson City," he 
said suavely. " I understand. Proceed, Colonel, you 
interest me." 

" He is willing to oblige me in various little ways," 
continued the old man quietly, " because if I pressed 
my claim and brought the matter before the authorities 
he would probably be discharged. It is thus a great 
Republic insures the integrity of its employes." 

The rain dashed suddenly against the window and the 
shrunken frames rattled with the force of the wind. 
Count Valdmir turned up the sable collar of his coat 
and glanced about curiously. 

" So this is the house," he said slowly. 

His companion acquiesced silently. 

" When I was a boy," he said at last, " many years 
ago, Count, I lived in Washington, in this immediate 
neighborhood. I know the house and its history well." 

" It was an admirable selection, Colonel, and reflects 
credit on your judgment. ' ' 

" When I applied for the position of caretaker," said 
Colonel St. John with a dry smile, " I had no difficulty 
in securing the billet ; it was not in demand. ' ' 

" What is that?" said Count Valdmir abruptly. 

Both men sprang to their feet and listened breath- 
lessly. Only the splashing of the rain and the trot of a 
passing horse broke the stillness. 

" I could swear," exclaimed Count Valdmir, " that 
I heard the rustle of a woman 's skirts. ' ' 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 93 

" I heard nothing," returned his companion slowly 
"nothing." 

" You must have heard it. The sound of silk is un- 
mistakable. ' ' 

Colonel St. John shrugged his shoulders. 

" You are not the first, Count, to hear strange noises 
in this house. I am not superstitious myself, but I do 
not sleep here. I prefer Jackson City." 

The Russian resumed his chair and took up the sketch 
of the Arsenal, examining it minutely. 

" For how long are you capable of keeping sober?" 
he inquired suddenly. 

The old man shrank visibly, a cringing manner re- 
placing the faint assumption of manliness, and the cor- 
ners of his mouth working miserably. 

' ' Not long, ' ' he faltered uncertainly, ' ' not long. I 'm 
an old man, Count, and not strong. I must have 
stimulant. ' ' 

" This sketch," continued Count Valdmir, carefully 
rolling it as he spoke, " is excellent. I want more of 
them. Also I want other information. I shall get you 
appointed in the Department of State. But you must 
keep sober, do you understand?" 

" For how long?" 

' Until I have no further use for you, which I fear, 
Colonel, from the turn aflairs have taken lately, will be 
some months. Once a week, or oftener if necessary, I 
will meet you here. Meantime, in the evenings you can 
continue your chicken raising at Jackson City ; perhaps 
you have other friends employed in the War Department 
who would be willing to oblige you. If so, cultivate 
them." 

" And what do I get for this service?" inquired 



94 THE WIFE OF 

Colonel St. John, a keen, calculating expression for a 
moment lighting up his dim eyes. 

" When the work is satisfactorily completed," replied 
Count Valdmir slowly, " you will receive from my 
Government an adequate compensation. From me you 
obtain your personal safety. The day is past, Colonel, 
when you could dictate your own terms. ' ' 

The muscles of the old man's face were twitching 
uncontrollably. He leaned forward and moistened his 
parched lips with his tongue. 

" I saw him yesterday," he whispered hoarsely. 

"Lyndhurst?" 

He nodded. 

" He turned and looked after me," he continued, 
dropping his voice still lower. " I believe he followed 
me, although I did not look around. He never saw me 
but once, yet I think he remembers me. ' ' 

" If he finds you," said Count Valdmir with a short 
laugh, " your days of liberty and usefulness are over. 
However, let us return to business. Are you familiar 
with the present international controversy?" 

' ' I have some knowledge of it. ' ' 

" Good! You recall the Rootschook muddle? Well, 
it is necessary that I ascertain the policy of this Gov- 
ernment in regard to it. I desire the entire history from 
the beginning to the end. I have reason to believe that 
the most important papers will soon be in my possession, 
but there will be others of great value. Now, follow 
closely what I say; I wish your whole attention, 
Colonel." 

And Colonel St. John, with a visible effort, concen- 
trated his wandering thoughts and listened intently as 
his companion spoke slowly and concisely, carefully em- 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 95 

phasizing certain words and instinctively lowering his 
voice, while the candles on the table spluttered in the 
draught from the loose casing about the window, and 
the gnawing of a mouse in the empty hall seemed pain- 
fully distinct. 

Suddenly Count Valdmir sprang to his feet. 

" There is someone else in this house!" he exclaimed 
angrily. " Who is it?" 

' ' There is no one, Count. ' ' 

" I tell you I felt someone look across my shoulder 
as we bent over the table just now. I even heard some- 
one breathe. ' ' 

He clutched his companion by the shoulder and held 
him as though in a vice. 

' ' By Heaven ! " he said through his clinched teeth, ' ' if 
I thought you were playing a double game 

But the ashen face and trembling limbs of the old 
man refuted the accusation even better than the eager 
protestations which poured from his lips, and the utter 
absence of anything to break the monotony of mouldy 
walls and bare boards, save their own two wooden chairs 
and deal table, demonstrated the impossibility of con- 
cealment. 

" Well," said Count Valdmir, releasing his compan- 
ion, " I believe you, Colonel, and it is fortunate for you 
that I do. When I begin to doubt you I shall have no 
scruples about informing the police of your where- 
abouts." He picked up his hat and smoothed it care- 
fully. 

" I will go now," he remarked, " as I have another 
engagement before dinner. A busy evening, but profit- 
able. Good-night, Colonel." 

Colonel St. John accompanied his guest to the front 



96 THE WIFE OF 

door and stood a moment watching him descend the 
steps. As he turned to reenter the house the candle in 
his hand suddenly went out, leaving the hall in total 
darkness. He carefully groped his way towards the 
dining-room, but stopped abruptly. 

" Who is here?" he demanded. " Who is it, I say?" 

There was an instant's intense silence, then the sound 
of quick, panting breath and a sudden blast of cold air. 

Colonel St. John stumbled forward and pushed open 
the dining-room door. Grasping the remaining candle, 
he returned to the hall ; it was quite empty, but the door 
at the back, leading into the garden, stood open and the 
wind blew it back and forth upon its creaking hinges. 
He closed it hastily, turning the rusty key with diffi- 
culty, and retraced his steps to the dining-room. Half- 
way across the hall he stopped irresolutely; the atmos- 
phere was filled with a subtle perfume very different 
from the musty air he had previously inhaled. Colonel 
St. John sniffed curiously, then reached for his hat ; in 
his younger days he had not been deficient in physical 
courage, but he lost no time in seeking the street, and 
drew a breath of heartfelt relief as he closed the door of 
the Octagon House behind him. 

Meanwhile, in the old garden the water lay in little 
pools upon the neglected flower-beds and the paths were 
inch deep with sticky black mud. It was not an attrac- 
tive place for an evening stroll, yet an irregular line of 
footsteps showed that someone had recently passed 
through, presumably taking a short cut from one street 
to the other. These footsteps had evidently been made 
by a man of at least average height, and they led directly 
to the gap in the old brick wall at the back of the 
garden. Sticking in the mud at the base of the wall was 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 97 

an overshoe, small and lined with fur a shoe such as 
ladies wear over their slippers when in evening dress. 
It did not seem applicable to the footprints in the 
garden. 



98 THE WIFE OF 



X 



SENATOR BYRD was giving a dinner and was conscious 
that it dragged heavily. As the guests were carefully 
selected, food and wine unexceptionable, and the serving 
beyond criticism, the Senator was puzzled. 

The Secretary of State had arrived alone, bearing Mrs. 
Redmond's apologies; she was prostrated by a severe 
headache and quite unable to be present. The Hon. Cecil 
Lyndhurst, for whom the dinner was given, had been 
unexpectedly, unaccountably late, and had not, in the 
Senator's opinion, offered good and sufficient reason for 
this breach of etiquette. 

Then too Isabel added to her father's annoyance by 
not appearing until after dinner was announced, wear- 
ing a gown of which he had expressed emphatic disap- 
proval, and subsiding into utter silence as she took her 
place between Monsieur du Pre and Mr. Rivers. The 
Senator's brows darkened as he observed the listless 
manner of his daughter and the forced animation of his 
guests. He liked conversation at his dinners to be spon- 
taneous and laughter genuine, and could detect the real 
article immediately. 

Mrs. Chesley, at the head of the table, was totally un- 
conscious of her brother's chagrin. To her the dinner 
was much like many others; her purple velvet was 
highly satisfactory and the canvas-backs cooked to a 
turn. What more could be desired? Therefore, when 
she felt his eye fixed upon her she returned his gaze of 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 99 

gloomy disapproval with a smile so vapid and vacuous 
that it proved the last straw to the harassed Senator. 
Bestowing a frown upon his innocent sister which caused 
her to drop her fork in astonishment, he turned hastily 
to the lady on his right and endeavored to sustain his 
reputation of a genial and delightful host, but she was 
afterwards heard to remark that she had rarely been so 
bored, and considered Senator Byrd a much overrated 
person. 

Monsieur du Pre and Mr. Rivers only were unaffected 
by the depressed atmosphere. The former was making a 
very substantial meal indeed, and the latter seemed ex- 
hilarated but self-absorbed. After one or two unsuccess- 
ful attempts to engage Isabel in conversation he relapsed 
into a preoccupied silence, totally oblivious of his other 
neighbor, who finally turned her white shoulder very 
markedly towards him and pointedly ignored his prox- 
imity. 

" And now, Mr. Lyndhurst," remarked Mrs. Chesley 
in the patronizing manner a certain type of person 
usually adopts towards a foreigner, ' ' what is your opin- 
ion of Washington?" 

' ' I have found it altogether delightful, Mrs. Chesley. ' ' 

" Of course," she resumed, helping herself to salted 
almonds, " you have been to the Capitol. How do our 
House and Senate compare with your Parliament, for 
instance ? ' ' 

" What particularly impressed me with the House of 
Representatives," interrupted Monsieur du Pre, " is 
the freedom of speech permitted its members. ' ' 

"All men are born free and equal," responded Mr. 
Rivers, rousing himself abruptly; " that is our Decla- 
ration, you know." 



100 THE WIFE OF 

" I went down there," continued Monsieur du Pre 
discursively, " to listen to a debate. I found two gen- 
tlemen gesticulating and both talking at once; they 
grew more irate every moment and finally one shook his 
fist at the other. I thought pistols imminent, and felt 
sure the friendship of a lifetime was irrevocably broken, 
for I had often seen them together. I thought how sad 
it was such things could happen. Then, what followed? 
As I left the Capitol that afternoon I saw the same two 
gentlemen strolling down the steps before me, arm-in- 
arm; they laughted and chatted, evidently in the best 
of spirits, and made an engagement to dine together that 
evening. I have the good fortune to know one of them, 
so I approached him after they had separated and ex- 
pressed my pleasure that the breach was so quickly 
healed." 

" Well," said Mr. Rivers, as the little Frenchman 
paused for breath, " well, what then?" 

" He looked at me in astonishment and inquired what 
I meant ; I explained I had been in the Diplomatic Gal- 
lery of the House that afternoon and had heard with 
sorrow the bitter dispute. He immediately drew himself 
up very tall and erect and looked over my head. ' I vote 
and argue for the good of my district,' he said very 
stiffly, ' but, by Gad, sir, I choose my own friends. ' ' 

" And that," said Senator Byrd, laughing, " is a 
privilege claimed by most men, I believe, regardless of 
country. ' ' 

Mrs. Chesley shook her head doubtfully, as though she 
could dispute this point if she desired, and admired her 
rings as they caught the light; she thought she might 
perhaps have added the hoop of rubies, after all, without 
overloading her fingers. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 101 

Isabel played with her fork, sending course after 
course away untouched, and was plainly relieved when 
dinner came to an end and she could retire to the piano 
in the drawing-room, whither Lyndhurst speedily fol- 
lowed. 

Isabel was playing softly, her red-gold hair gleaming 
under the chandelier and her gray eyes persistently low- 
ered. The young Englishman watched her in silence. 
Fate had thrown them frequently together since Mrs. 
Redmond's ball, and this particular type of American 
continued to interest him greatly. 

" There is something on your gown," he exclaimed 
suddenly, ' ' allow me. ' ' 

Taking out his handkerchief he brushed her skirt 
lightly. The black spot on its gauzy, pale-blue surface 
remained unchanged and a hasty movement on her part 
disclosed another and larger discolored place at the edge 
of her satin petticoat. Dropping his handkerchief, he 
touched it with his finger, then glanced up quickly. The 
skirt was stained by mud and water and still very wet. 

Isabel twitched it from him and brought her hands 
down upon the keys tumultuously. 

"Yes, it's wet," she said defiantly, as though chal- 
lenging inquiry. 

The Hon. Cecil was puzzled. The girl was evidently 
excited, as her unnaturally bright eyes and the color 
which came and went so fitfully indisputably demon- 
strated. Also, he believed, she was not far from a 
nervous collapse. He had sisters of his own and knew 
there are times when very deft handling is necessary if 
one would avoid trouble. So he stroked his fair mus- 
tache affectionately and reflected carefully before 
speaking. 



102 THE WIFE OF 

" There's a jolly little room at the head of the stairs," 
he remarked suggestively at last; " I noticed it as I 
came in. It is very nice and quiet and the chairs looked 
uncommonly comfortable. ' ' 

* ' My sitting-room, ' ' said Isabel with a gasp of relief ; 
' ' yes, let us go there. ' ' 

" Miss Byrd," he said quietly as they entered the 
room and he drew forward a low chair, " will you not 
have a glass of wine? You ate no dinner I sat oppo- 
site, you know " 

Isabel swept her skirts about her with a hasty move- 
ment which brought the wet spot again into prominence. 

" It was horrid in you to notice it," she said petu- 
lantly" horrid." 

" I beg your pardon," he apologized contritely, " I 
did not mean to vex you. ' ' 

But Isabel was not yet appeased. 

" Look at that muddy place on your shoe," she con- 
tinued reproachfully. " I saw it, but I did not think it 
necessary to call the attention of the whole room to it. 
And there is some on your cuff too. ' ' 

It was quite true. Upon the heel of his patent-leather 
shoe freshly dried mud was thickly plastered; also a 
large spot marred the under side of an otherwise immac- 
ulate cuff. 

" It's just as black as the place on my skirt," con- 
tinued Isabel, who evidently agreed with the theory that 
the best mode of defence is by attack, " and (perhaps 
you don't know it) there is quite a long splash on the 
back of your coat; the servants should have brushed 
you, of course, but I suppose you came so late they had 
not tune. ' ' 

The Hon. Cecil gravely examined his cuff. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 103 

" They do match, don't they?" he remarked pleas- 
antly, comparing it with the stain on her skirt. 

" On the whole," she resumed triumphantly, " on 
the whole, Mr. Lyndhurst, you are more spotted than I." 

Isabel touched her skirt gingerly. 

" I think it is drying a little, don't you?" she in- 
quired anxiously. 

A ripple of laughter from the drawing-room floated 
up the stairs, and a servant entered with a tray contain- 
ing small cups of black coffee. Isabel took one and drank 
it eagerly, while her companion, holding his cup in his 
hand, toyed absently with the spoon and watched her; 
his eyes were troubled as well as puzzled and, notwith- 
standing the composure of his manner, it was evident 
he was holding himself well in hand. 

" You see," said Isabel with an effort, " just before 
dinner, after I was dressed and ready, I heard of a 
friend who who was in trouble, and, of course, I 
wanted to help it. And I did not want anyone to 
know. And now this horrid stain, and and every- 
thing." 

" I hope," he said gently, " you were able to assist 
your friend." 

" No," she replied with a shake of the head, " that's 
just it. I didn't help at all. I I fear I did harm by 
going. But I meant well." 

Her voice shook slightly in spite of her effort to con- 
trol it, and she pushed her cup aside on the small table 
beside her and groped vainly for her handkerchief. 

" I wish you'd look the other way," she exclaimed 
impatiently, " I hate to be stared at." 

The Hon. Cecil was conscious that he could not hold 
himself quite as well in check as he had believed ; he felt 



104 THE WIFE OF 

a sudden and irresistible desire to put his arm about the 
slender figure and wipe the tears from the long lashes. 
He took her hand in both of his, and her hair brushed 
against his cheek as he stooped over her. 

" Don't cry," he whispered, " it hurts me. Don't 
cry Isabel. ' ' 

Isabel rolled her handkerchief into a moist little ball 
and rose suddenly. 

" I think I ought to tell you," she said, with a little 
laugh which was half a sob, " that this afternoon Mr. 
Rivers asked me to marry him and I said I would. I 
thought you might be interested. ' ' 

He released her hand and straightened himself sud- 
denly. 

" I congratulate you," he said slowly. " You were 
right, I am interested." 

" It will be quite a long engagement," she continued, 
her fingers nervously interlocked " a year, I hope; I 
mean, of course, I hope the wedding will be in a year's 
time. But then one can never tell what may happen. " 

" I congratulate you," he said again, " Mr. Rivers is 
a very brilliant man. I have heard him mentioned as 
a possible member of the next Cabinet. ' ' 

" Yes," she said, " I know. And father is pleased 
too; they are friends, although Mr. Rivers is much 
younger. Shall we return to the drawing-room ? And 
Mr. Lyndhurst " 

"Yes, MissByrd." 

" Please forget how foolish I have been to-night. I 
am very well, and, of course, very happy. I was a little 
nervous, I think, and I fear I was rude when you only 
meant to be kind ; please forgive me. And please also 
forget everything, will you ? ' ' 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 105 

" There is nothing to remember, Miss Byrd, except 
what you have just told me." 

The guests were preparing to take their leave as they 
returned to the drawing-room, and Isabel, with some 
compunctions of conscience, endeavored to perform a few 
neglected duties in regard to entertaining her father's 
friends. 

The Secretary of State was the first to depart. He 
drew her aside with a whispered word of congratulation 
and watched her face keenly as they talked. 

" Your father told me," he said, " and I want to be 
the first to wish you the happiness you deserve. I was 
astonished, Isabel ; you have kept your friends com- 
pletely in the dark, my dear." 

He stooped and kissed her forehead, taking her face 
between his hands and looking earnestly into her gray 
eyes. 

" God bless you, my dear," he said gently. " May 
you be as happy as Estelle and I. There can be no better 
fortune in life for you than that. Good-night. ' ' 

The Secretary drove quickly home through the wet 
streets and went at once to Mrs. Redmond's dressing- 
room. She half rose from the couch as he approached 
and held out both hands in welcome. 

' It's perfectly absurd, of course," she said, with a 
little laugh, " but when you go anywhere without me 
I 'm wretched until you come back. ' ' 

The flowing lace sleeve of her white dressing-gown fell 
away from her rounded arm, with its faint tracery of 
blue veins; the Secretary liked to follow their course 
with the tip of his finger and also to hold the small white 
hand which wore the plain gold band and lay so willingly 
in his. 



106 THE WIFE OF 

" Was the evening very long?" he inquired tenderly. 
" Poor little girl! And how is the head?" 

" It is really better, John almost well, in fact. Tell 
me about the dinner; I was especially sorry not to go 
with you to-night." 

" Well," he returned reflectively, " you did not miss 
very much. It was deadly dull, absolutely the only 
stupid dinner I ever knew Byrd to give. ' ' 

' ' Tell me who was there and all about it. ' ' 

So he told her all the little details he knew she wished 
to hear, and she listened attentively, occasionally laugh- 
ing at some anecdote or interrupting with some trivial 
question, while outside the wind increased in violence 
and rain splashed against the windows, running down 
the panes in little rivers and forming small ponds upon 
the stone sill, thus accentuating the warmth and color 
of the rose-tinted room. 

He pressed his cheek to hers as he spoke, but started 
in astonishment. 

" Why, Estelle," he exclaimed, rapidly passing his 
hand over her head, " your hair is wet!" 

Mrs. Redmond sat suddenly upright and pushed aside 
his hand. Her breath came quickly and a round red 
spot glowed on either cheek. 

" Don't, John," she said wearily, " my head is very 
sensitive. Please don't touch it." 

" But see," he returned, holding out his hand for her 
inspection, ' ' only see how wet my fingers are. ' ' 

Mrs. Redmond took the hand hi both of hers and laid 
her cheek against it. 

" You dear old silly," she said languidly, " my head 
was so hot and ached so badly I had Josephine put 
crushed ice on it. I was too vain to let you see me tied 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 107 

up in a towel, so I took it off when I heard you coming, 
but, of course, my hair is wet." 

The Secretary smiled indulgently and returned to the 
subject of Isabel Byrd's engagement. Mrs. Redmond 
sank back again upon the couch and listened quietly 
with closed eyes. 

" By the way," he said reflectively, " isn't it about 
time we entertained Lyndhurst?" 

The lace upon the bosom of her gown moved suddenly 
and a pause ensued. 

' ' He has been here, dear, ' ' she said at last ; ' ' you 
forget the ball." 

" But that is not enough," he objected, rolling the 
end of the ribbon at her waist about his fingers and 
slowly smoothing it out again, " we must give a dinner 
for him and ask the other diplomats. We should have 
done so before this." 

' 'AU of them, John?" 

" Estelle," he exclaimed, laughing, " I believe you 
are getting lazy. For the first time since our marriage 
you are shirking responsibility." 

' I dislike the English," said Mrs. Redmond in gen- 
eral condemnation; " as a rule they are so stolid and 
heavy ; they remind me of underdone bread. ' ' 

' Well," returned the Secretary, relinquishing the 
ribbon, " I admit this young fellow attracts me. There 
is nothing stolid about him, I assure you; on the con- 
trary, he is remarkably alert. I have met him officially 
as well as socially, of course, and I think you will like 
him when you know him." 

Mrs. Redmond pushed aside the heavy hair which had 
fallen over her forehead and turned her face away from 
the light. 



108 THE WIFE OF 

" We will have the dinner, dear," she said gently, 
" and invite the whole Diplomatic Corps if you say so. 
I think a large affair would be best, don 't you ? ' ' 

11 I will leave it entirely to you," he replied. " I 
know I am in safe hands, although they are very small 
to be so capable." 

The Secretary was much given to such old-fashioned 
gallantries. Although he had been married five years, 
he was as much in love with his wife as the day he had 
gone with her to the little church in Paris and placed 
upon her finger the small golden band. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 109 



XI 



THE fire in Mrs. Redmond's sitting-room burned 
cheerfully, casting flickering shadows upon the brass 
andirons and crackling sociably; it was a fire to invite 
easy-chairs and confidences; or, if one happened to be 
alone, to sit beside and dream, for there were pictures 
in it and castles in the air roundabout if one cared to 
look for them. 

The mistress of the room sat in a low chair, her hands 
clasped idly in her lap and the tip of her slipper upon 
the fender. She was one of the few people capable of 
absolute inaction and had been sitting motionless for 
the past hour, her head resting upon the silk cushion at 
the back of her chair and her eyes partly closed, as 
though the dark lashes were too heavy for the white 
lids they fringed and had weighed them down. She 
was a study for an artist as she sat there in the dusk 
of the short winter's day, with the firelight casting its 
ruddy glow upon the rich folds of her gown and reflect- 
ing itself in the dark, polished floor. A casual observer 
would doubtless have labelled the picture " Repose," but 
if one looked again one could detect a tired expression 
about the mouth and a reluctant expectancy in the whole 
attitude the reverse of restful. The clock on the mantel 
chimed, and she frowned a little. 

"A half hour late," she said aloud as the door opened 
and Count Valdmir entered quietly. 



110 THE WIFE OF 

" I thought I would announce myself," he remarked 
as he crossed the room. " It was not too much of a 
liberty in an old friend, was it?" 

Mrs. Redmond moved the glass screen which lay in 
her lap and held it between her face and the fire. 

" I said four o'clock," she remarked abruptly; " it 
is now half -past. ' ' 

" I apologize," he returned, " the delay was unavoid- 
able. I may sit down?" 

She bowed distantly. 

" You were dreaming when I came in," he resumed. 
" You used to dream away whole days in Berlin, I re- 
member. A habit is like a perfume it clings to one." 

" I was not dreaming," she interrupted sharply, " I 
was thinking of you. ' ' 

" I am flattered, Madame." 

They spoke in French, a language in which both were 
proficient, and their words were chosen with care. 

" I was wondering," she continued slowly, " if you 
had a heart." 

"A heart," said Count Valdmir reflectively, " is the 
instrument by means of which our blood is circulated; 
we all possess them, do we not?" 

She moved impatiently, and he bent forward that he 
might see her face. 

" I have a heart, Madame," he said quietly, " al- 
though I have but lately become aware of the fact 
myself. Shall I tell you how I know?" 

" It does not interest me," she returned coldly. 

A servant entered, replenished the fire, and noiselessly 
withdrew; Count Valdmir watched him in silence and 
smiled sceptically. 

"So!" he said, when they were again alone, " a 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 111 

daughter of Eve, yet not curious. Is that not an 
anomaly ? ' ' 

"It is only the unsophisticated who are curious," 
returned Mrs. Redmond slowly. " When one has 
actually tasted the apple, one's teeth are set on edge 
forever it is so sour." 

' ' You speak bitterly, Madame. ' ' 

' ' Perhaps so, Count Valdmir. ' ' 

Again he leaned forward that he might see her face 
more clearly. 

" Tell me," he said after a long pause, " do you ever 
live the old days over in memory, or is the past dead as 
well as buried?" 

" It is not even buried," she replied, " it rises from 
the grave I dug for it and follows me everywhere." 

" Then you sometimes think of Berlin?" 

" Often, Count." 

" With regret?" 

" With deep regret." 

" I too, Madame, regret my lost opportunities. Like 
you, I wish I might live that part of my life over again." 

" Do not misunderstand me," said Mrs. Redmond 
distinctly, ' ' my regret is not that the old days are gone, 
but that they ever existed at all." 

' You are happy, yes?" he said interrogatively. 
' I scarcely suppose," she returned indifferently, 
" you asked for this interview simply to discuss my 
happiness or misery. I presume you want something; 
what is it?" 

" I want to know," he said deliberately, " why you 
failed to keep your appointment on Thursday evening. ' ' 
- ' ' You do know, Count Valdmir. ' ' 

' ' But not enough. You started and lost your way ; 



112 THE WIFE OF 

you also lost the kernel from the nut, as it were. A 
curious coincidence, and one worthy of much thought." 

" They were lost, I tell you lost," she whispered 
hoarsely. 

' ' Even as the Khedive 's opals were lost, ' ' he returned 
slowly. 

Mrs. Redmond caught the back of a chair and steadied 
herself against it. 

" Count Valdmir," she said with a visible effort at 
self-control, " I cannot allow you to insult me in my 
own house. You will apologize for your insinuation 
at once, if you please." 

" I think," he replied with an unpleasant laugh, 
" that Mrs. Redmond has lived so long in Washington 
she is inclined to forget Berlin." 

She put her finger on the electric bell in the wall 
beside her. 

" I am not afraid of you, Count," she said quietly, 
" not yet, at least. You are too wise a man to throw 
away a tool before it has served its purpose. If I 
touch this button I will tell my servants to show you 
out and not admit you again. Shall I ring?" 

" Madame," he returned, with a slight bow, " when 
you are angry you are superb. I apologize. ' ' 

Mrs. Redmond resumed her chair and again took pos- 
session of the glass screen. 

" I have told you all I know," she said coldly, after 
a long pause. 

There are almost as many kinds of silence as there 
are types of humanity, and while nothing is more 
soothing and delightful than the prolonged quiet of real 
camaraderie, it is equally true that nothing is more 
exhausting than the silence of distrust or contempt. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 113 

The little French clock on the mantel ticked rapidly as 
though hurrying time away, and the fire blazed merrily, 
sending an occasional spark over the fender and out 
into the room, while the winter's day waned and the 
twilight deepened. 

" Is there anything else?" finally inquired Mrs. Red- 
mond without turning her head. 

Count Valdmir carefully extinguished a spark which 
had fallen upon the rug and lay smouldering there. 

" Yes, Madame," he said slowly, " there is some- 
thing more. I earnestly desire an appointment for a 
friend." 

" An appointment?" 

" A temporary clerkship in the Department of State. 
The man is old and poor. A worthy charity." 

"A friend of yours," she said with a short laugh, 
" and a worthy charity?" 

" Even so, Madame." 

" It could be arranged, I suppose," she said unwill- 
ingly, " if it is absolutely necessary." 

" I should not ask it otherwise, Madame." 

Mrs. Redmond went to her desk and produced a small 
memorandum-book. 

" Be good enough to give me his name and address," 
she said briefly. " I do not promise this appointment, 
but I will make a note of it." 

' His name, Madame, is Joseph Sanders. He lives at 
Jackson City, a small town in Virginia." 

' ' Joseph Sanders, ' ' she repeated as she wrote it down, 
" an excellent alias non-committal and respectable. I 
think, Count, I will be obliged to know a little more 
about Mr. Sanders before I interest myself in his 
behalf." 

8 



114 THE WIFE OF 

He watched her enter the name and raised his eye- 
brows slightly as she spoke. 

' ' I think not, Madame, ' ' he said confidently ; ' ' your 
naturally kind heart will prompt you to assist the needy 
without making useless inquiries concerning them. In 
the course of the next few weeks my friend will be 
installed, I am sure. He is, by the way, an American 
by birth." 

''And by adoption what?" 

' ' A man without a country, Madame ; there are many 
such wanderers. ' ' 

Mrs. Redmond returned the book to her desk and 
faced her companion. 

" You received my invitation to dinner?" 

' ' This morning only. I shall, of course, accept. ' ' 

" I thought you would. Force of circumstances 
obliged me to ask you your official position and my 
husband's, you understand?" 

" I was not unduly flattered by the attention," he 
returned dryly. 

" The dinner," continued Mrs. Redmond, speaking 
slowly and distinctly, " is given for the new British 
Attache, Mr. Lyndhurst" 

Count Valdmir had risen and was standing with his 
back to the fireplace, watching her every movement 
closely. She drew a long-stemmed rose from the vase 
upon the desk and crossed the room towards him, 
moving with a languid grace peculiarly her own, the 
flower hanging loosely from her hand and her small 
head held proudly erect. Resuming the low chair before 
the fire, she slowly lifted the rose and inhaled its per- 
fume, then looked directly at her companion, unde- 
niable challenge in her blue eyes. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 115 

" The dinner," she repeated, " is given for Mr. 
Lyndhurst. ' ' 

The ticking of the little clock seemed obtrusively loud 
as the man and woman gazed at each other in silence. 
He bent forward eagerly that he might see her face 
more distinctly in the gathering dusk and the pupils of 
his eyes dilated strangely, a sudden, passionate light 
replacing their usual calm coldness. 

With an involuntary movement he stooped over her, 
his quick breath stirring the loose tendrils of hair about 
her ears. 

" Estelle," he murmured softly, " Estelle." 

The blue eyes widened as they gazed helplessly up at 
him as though fascinated, a blank, baffled expression 
gradually replacing their first angry surprise. 

Count Valdmir was speaking again, speaking hur- 
riedly, his incoherent words crowding rapidly upon one 
another and his face coming gradually closer as his 
voice grew lower, and his pulses throbbed painfully. 
And Mrs. Redmond was listening listening with a 
curious sense of remote unreality and the trembling 
stillness with which a bird watches the cat who, having 
charmed it, prepares to spring. 

" You shall not be troubled," he was saying; " I 
can shield you if you will let me. Estelle, I have 
wanted you always, do you understand? always." 

She made an effort to rise, but he put her gently back. 

" You need not fear Lyndhurst," he continued 
breathlessly. ' ' With me you need fear no one. I want 
you, Star of the World, I want you." 

Mrs. Redmond shook off his restraining hand and 
sprang to her feet. 

' ' How dare you ? ' ' she gasped. ' ' How dare you ? ' ' 



116 THE WIFE OF 

With unsteady fingers she switched on the electric 
light and pointed to the door. Count Valdmir took out 
his handkerchief and mopped his forehead. The pupils 
of his eyes contracted as suddenly as they had expanded, 
and the eyes themselves resumed their habitually keen 
expression. 

" Perhaps it was as well, Madame," he said, alluding 
to the light, " the situation was becoming somewhat 
strained. ' ' 

Mrs. Redmond tried to speak, but her lips refused to 
articulate; she was very pale and her eyes glittered 
ominously. 

" Let us discuss the question coolly," he remarked, 
stooping to pick up the red rose, which had fallen to the 
floor. " I offer you absolute security, peace of mind, 
safety what you will. In return I ask what ? A few 
sugarplums: a kiss now and then perhaps nothing 
more than men have asked of you before, Madame, if 
my memory serves me rightly." 

She pressed the button in the wall beside her without 
replying. 

" It is a small price to pay for safety, ' ' he continued. 
" I am better as your friend than your enemy, Madame. 
I can be merciless when it serves my purpose." 

" I know," she said slowly, " I know." 

" I hold your happiness in the hollow of my hand. 
You are brave, Madame; you possess courage few men 
can boast, I admire it, but it will avail you nothing 
if I elect to speak." 

" I have done all you asked," she said mechanically. 

" Not quite all, Madame. Somehow you have 
bungled ; it is not in your nature to fail, therefore I am 
suspicious. ' ' 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 117 

" What I told you is true, Count Valdmir; I 
swear it." 

He moved impulsively forward and seized her hands. 

" I want you to be happy," he said softly; " it's 
such a small thing I ask : only a few caresses only an 
occasional moment out of your life. How little! Kiss 
me, Estelle, and promise what I ask. Kiss me now, 
yourself, and the slate is sponged clean. Come to me, 
Star of the World, and be at rest." 

He dropped her hands hastily as the door opened and 
retreated a few paces, pulling to pieces the red rose and 
breathing heavily. 

" James," said Mrs. Redmond to the footman who 
stood awaiting orders, " Count Valdmir is going. Show 
him out." 

" And," said James later in the butler's pantry in 
indignant narrative, " when I handed him his hat, most 
respectful and polite, he up and cussed me, that's what 
he done." 



118 THE WIFE OF 



XII 



" ISABEL," remarked Mrs. Redmond to Miss Byrd as 
the latter entered the library, " don't ever marry a 
member of the Cabinet." 

" Why not?" inquired Miss Byrd; " you seem to 
get a good deal of pleasure out of it." 

" It's the awful question of precedence at dinner and 
things, ' ' said Mrs. Redmond vaguely, her white forehead 
puckered ominously. " I literally quake all over when 
we do our duty and invite the diplomats for fear I will 
somehow blunder. Suppose, now, I should happen to 
put the premier of the corps in the middle of the table. ' ' 

"As a centrepiece," suggested Isabel, laughing, " he 
might be very effective, I should think." 

" You know what I mean. And they are always 
being recalled, or dying, or changing somehow. It is 
enough to turn one 's hair white. ' ' 

" Oh Estelle," said Isabel, laughing again, " this 
from you, and I know you absolutely revel in your posi- 
tion because of the way you can chatter in foreign lan- 
guages. You would not change places with any woman 
living, and you know it." 

Mrs. Redmond became suddenly grave. 

" I declare to you, Isabel," she said earnestly, " if 
John would resign and take me out West somewhere, 
on a ranch, I think, away from it all, I believe I would 
be the happiest woman in the world." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 119 

" Well, I like it," replied Isabel as she sank into a 
comfortable low chair and removed her gloves. " I like 
rubbing elbows with other nations and meeting all sorts 
of interesting people, although it does make me realize 
sometimes what a very insignificant person Miss Isabel 
Byrd is, after all." 

" My elbows are already sore from too much rub- 
bing," remarked Mrs. Redmond ruefully, and they both 
laughed. 

" What magnificent orchids," exclaimed Isabel sud- 
denly. ' ' Whence, Estelle ? ' ' 

" Count Valdmir, " returned Mrs. Redmond briefly, 
adding emphatically, " I dislike orchids as much as one 
can dislike a flower." 

" Count Valdmir," repeated Isabel as she pulled a 
blossom or so into greater prominence, " he of the waxed 
mustache and sphinx-like smile. I think, Estelle, I dis- 
like Count Valdmir as much as one can dislike a man 
and sometimes that means a lot." 

' He dines here to-night," remarked Mrs. Redmond 
as she crossed the room and stood looking at the girl 
as she sat in the low chair with the sunlight touching 
her hair lovingly and turning it into burnished gold. 

Isabel's hair was her father's pride and the chronic 
despair of her aunt, as it would not lend itself to any 
prescribed form of coiffure, but rebelliously put forth 
curling tendrils where least expected, as though laugh- 
ing at the bare idea of restraint. Mrs. Chesley had been 
heard to say, during the chrysalis period of her niece's 
development, that her red hair and pug nose were 
calamities which might be borne with pious resignation 
were it not for the wayward spirit which accompanied 
them and from which she was a daily sufferer. Time, 



120 THE WIFE OF 

indeed, had shaped the inquiring nose into a piquant 
and most attractive appendage, and had softened the 
hue of the objectionable tresses into a rich red-gold, the 
delight of artists, but Mrs. Chesley was of the opinion 
that the ungovernable spirit merely smouldered and 
might be roused at short notice. 

Mrs. Redmond sat down upon the arm of the chair 
and her eyes involuntarily followed the ray of light cast 
by the diamond upon the plump white hand lying 
lightly in the girl's lap. It was a very handsome dia- 
mond, and compelled attention, so Mrs. Redmond 
thought, almost obtrusively. 

" Mr. Rivers," she said slowly, " has regretted." 

" Yes," replied Isabel quietly, " he had another en- 
gagement. He was very sorry." 

Estelle Redmond turned suddenly and took her 
friend's face between her hands, looking earnestly into 
the gray eyes, which clouded a little and failed to 
respond to her affectionate gaze with their customary 
frankness. 

' ' Why did you do it ? " she said impulsively ; ' ' tell 
me, Isabel." 

' ' Why does anybody want to get married ? ' ' returned 
Isabel, laughing impatiently and turning her head away 
from the inquiring eyes. " Why did you do it your- 
self, for that matter?" 

"Ah," said Mrs. Redmond quickly, " that's dif- 
ferent." 

She looked involuntarily towards a photograph of her 
husband, and, rising, placed it further back on the 
mantel where it was in no danger of falling, touching 
it gently and relinquishing it half regretfully, while the 
girl watched her curiously. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 121 

" Estelle," she said almost timidly, " did you love 
him that way before you were married, or did it come 
later ? 

"Ah, no," she continued hastily, as her companion 
was about to reply, " don't tell me. I don't think I 
want to know. But you do love your husband more and 
more all the time, Estelle, don't you?" 

" Yes," said Mrs. Redmond softly, " more and more 
every day." 

"And you are happy, married? Happier than when 
you were a girl? Aunt Mary says that every right- 
minded woman " 

" I am happy," interrupted Mrs. Redmond, speaking 
quickly and emphatically, " so happy, Isabel, that I 
would be quite willing to give up all chance of heaven 
hereafter in order to preserve my heaven upon earth." 

" I don't quite understand, Estelle." 

" I mean," said Mrs. Redmond, speaking to the 
picture on the mantel rather than to the girl listening 
wide-eyed in the low chair, " I mean that I possess the 
love and respect of a good man, and there is nothing 
in the world I would not do rather than to lose it." 

" But, Estelle," interrupted Isabel in a puzzled voice, 
' ' of course you expect your husband to love and respect 
you, every woman does. I don't understand 

"And please God you never will," said Mrs. Red- 
mond earnestly, adding cheerfully, " and now my 
solemn mood has gone. It was all your fault, anyhow, 
for getting engaged so quietly that you stole a march 
even on me. Let me see your ring. And how about 
Mr. Leigh, Isabel, and others I could mention?" 

Isabel turned her ring slowly around her finger and 
watched the diamond as it caught the light. 



122 THE WIFE OF 

"Estelle," she said gravely, "I think I'd like to 
tell you something." 

"About Mr. Leigh?" 

Isabel did not reply at once. She rested her chin on 
her hand and gazed straight before her, a troubled look 
in her gray eyes and a serious expression about the lips 
usually so prone to curve into infectious smiles display- 
ing captivating little dimples where least expected. 

" Well?" said Mrs. Redmond after waiting some 
minutes in silence. 

' ' One afternoon, ' ' began Isabel slowly, ' ' I was in the 
library at home in the curtained alcove, you know." 

Mrs. Redmond nodded and drew up her chair. 

" I know," she said. 

" Well," resumed Isabel with an evident effort, " I 
think I must have fallen into a doze, for I don't remem- 
ber anything especial until I heard voices in the library. 
It was father and Mr. Rivers, and they seemed to have 
been talking a long time. The first thing I heard dis- 
tinctly was Mr. Rivers saying very positively, ' I believe 
Leigh is the guilty man,' and then, Estelle, of course I 
waked right up and listened with all my might. ' ' 

" Of course," assented Mrs. Redmond. 

" Father said doubtfully, ' The Secretary has every 
confidence in him,' and Mr. Rivers said, ' That doesn't 
prove anything. A child could pull wool over his eyes 
if it wanted to. ' ' 

" Mr. Rivers did not know what he was talking 
about," remarked Mrs. Redmond indignantly, but Isabel 
continued her story without noticing the interruption. 

' They talked a long time, and I gathered that an 
important paper had been stolen from the State De- 
partment. Father said Mr. Leigh was certainly respon- 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 123 

sible and that decisive steps of some sort ought to be 
taken at once, and Mr. Rivers " 

Mrs. Redmond had turned her head so that her face 
was in the shadow. 

" Well," she said almost sharply, " what did Mr. 
Rivers say?" 

' ' He said, ' ' replied Isabel gravely, ' ' that he had been 
having Mr. Leigh watched, ' shadowed' was the word. 
It sounds horrid, doesn't it?" 

" It certainly does," agreed Mrs. Redmond with a 
little shiver. 

"And that he hoped matters would soon be brought 
to a climax. And when he said that, Estelle, I think I 
hated him." 

" Go on, " said Mrs. Redmond briefly. 

" There was a good deal more," continued Isabel 
reflectively, " and presently father said he thought he 
could test Mr. Leigh that very afternoon, as he expected 
him on some business for the Secretary. He suggested 
that they make up a bundle of blank papers and label it 
' Roostchook,' then let them lie on the table and leave 
Mr. Leigh alone in the room. Father said he felt sure 
the papers would remain untouched, but Mr. Rivers 
thought not. 

" I know it was not very honorable to listen to all this, 
but I couldn't help it, Estelle, I just couldn't. I felt 
angry that they should suspect Mr. Leigh, or anyone 
else, of such a thing, and I wanted to stay there myself 
and watch to prove they were wrong, and then tell them 
just what I thought of them. You understand, don't 
you?" 

" Yes, dear, I understand." 

" Well," resumed the girl, with heightened color, 



124 THE WIFE OF 

" they fixed up the papers and smoked awhile without 
saying anything, and then all at once Mr. Rivers began 
talking about me, saying he wanted to marry me. I was 
so surprised I nearly tumbled out of the alcove and 
spoiled everything, and I almost wish I had." 

" I wish so too, Isabel." 

" Father said," went on Isabel hurriedly, " how 
pleased he would be and all that sort of thing, and then 
the door-bell rang and they went upstairs. It was Mr. 
Leigh, and he came into the library and sat down by the 
table with those miserable papers right under his nose. 
After awhile he saw them. ' ' 

Mrs. Redmond was leaning forward now, listening 
intently to every word, a curious light in her blue eyes. 

' ' Go on, ' ' she said breathlessly, " go on. " 

He picked them up and turned them over and over 
and studied the outside wrapper. It had ' Roostchook 
Confidential,' printed very large on it in red ink; I 
could see it distinctly. He kept on turning them over 
doubtfully, and then, Estelle, he looked hastily behind 
him and put them in his pocket. ' ' 

"Ah!" Mrs. Redmond leaned back in her chair as 
though the tension had suddenly relaxed. 

"Just then," continued Isabel, " father sent for Mr. 
Leigh and I could come out. I felt the way I used to 
feel as a child when I had been swinging too long all 
light-headed and giddy, you know, with everything 
blurry. It's a horrid -sensation." 

' ' Well, I sat there in father 's chair and thought it all 
over, and the more I thought the sorrier I felt for Mr. 
Leigh; although he had proved himself dishonorable, 
I did not want father and Mr. Rivers to know it, and, 
after all, it was only a bundle of blank papers and there 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 125 

was no great harm done. And so, Estelle, I made up 
another package and printed ' Roostchook Confiden- 
tial ' on it, just like the first. Father taught me how to 
print, and you can't tell my letters from his." 

" You made another package?" said Mrs. Red- 
mood incredulously. 

" Oh, yes," replied Isabel in a tired voice, " it was 
quite easy. I despise Mr. Leigh, of course, and have 
a contempt for him, but it is not necessary that anybody 
else should know." 

Mrs. Redmond put her hand gently upon the bright 
hair. 

" Poor little Isabel," she said softly. 

"Just as I got them fixed," resumed Isabel quietly, 
" Mr. Rivers came in and looked at the table, and there 
was the bundle exactly as he put it, staring him right 
in the face. Then he saw me, and the first thing I knew 
he was asking me to marry him, and I said I would, 
Estelle, because it seemed to me I might as well do that 
as anything." 

Mrs. Redmond had crossed the room and stood look- 
ing out over the broad avenue with compressed lips and 
moist lashes. 

' Is that all?" she inquired, but without turning 
around. 

" No," said Isabel hesitatingly, " not quite. It was 
that stormy Thursday when you were ill and could not 
dine with us you remember, don't you?" 

"Perfectly, Isabel." 

' Well, after I was dressed it occurred to me I might 
go to Mr. Leigh and ask him to give back those papers, 
and perhaps he would explain why he took them. I 
thought I had plenty of tune before dinner and it was 



126 THE WIFE OF 

only kind to warn him about the shadowing. Anyhow, 
I went." 

' ' You went, alone, to Mr. Leigh 's lodgings ! " ex- 
claimed Mrs. Redmond, turning from the window in 
genuine astonishment. " Isabel!" 

" Yes," said the girl quietly, " and I wish from the 
bottom of my heart I had stayed at home. ' ' 

She paused uncertainly and looked anxiously at her 
companion. 

" This is very confidential, Estelle, " she said, with a 
little quiver in her voice, " but I must talk to someone, 
and Aunt Mary never understands things. I have been 
so worried " 

Mrs. Redmond drew the chair closer and sat down 
quietly, taking Isabel's hand in hers caressingly. 

" Tell me all about it, dear," she said gently. ''John 
says I am a good listener. Then we will talk the whole 
thing over and see what is best to be done." 

" You are such a comfortable friend," returned 
Isabel gratefully, " and I feel it is so safe to talk to 
you. Where was I ? " 

" You had started for Mr. Leigh's lodgings," said 
Estelle, her voice a little mechanical and her eyes still 
following the flashing of the diamond upon the hand 
resting confidingly in hers. 

" Well," resumed Isabel, " just before I got to the 
house Mr. Leigh himself came down the steps and 
turned in the opposite direction. Of course, I called to 
him, but he didn't hear me, and I tried to catch up 
with him, but he walked too quickly for me. It was 
blowing and raining and the streets were slippery. I 
had never been out alone at night before and I was 
awfully afraid, but I kept on following him, scarcely 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 127 

knowing what I was doing, and oh, Estelle, he 
went " 

" Yes?" said Mrs. Redmond breathlessly as she 
paused a moment. " Where, Isabel, where?" 

A sudden rustle of stiff silk became evident in the 
hall and a decided voice said crisply: 

' ' No, you need not show me the way. I will announce 
myself. ' ' 

"Aunt Mary," exclaimed Isabel with an impatient 
gesture as Mrs. Chesley sailed into the room with the 
manner of one confident of her welcome. 

' ' I was sure I would find Isabel here, ' ' she remarked, 
placidly sinking into the most comfortable chair. " You 
should not let her monopolize so many of your morn- 
ings, my dear. I often say to her father that I really 
don't know what she would do without you." 

Mrs. Redmond made an appropriate reply, and the 
conversation drifted into the subjects uppermost in 
Mrs. Chesley 's mind, clothes and servants, while her 
niece relapsed into a silence she mentally deplored as 
sullen, and her hostess valiantly endeavored to maintain 
a courteous and interested manner in spite of the inop- 
portune arrival of her visitor. 



128 THE WIFE OF 



XIII 

" How do I look?" inquired Mrs. Redmond some 
hours later, suddenly appearing in her husband's dress- 
ing-room. 

There was but one answer possible and the Secretary 
promptly made it, stooping to kiss the white forehead 
and touch the beautifully dressed hair caressingly. 

" I'm so glad you think so," she said, consulting the 
mirror anxiously. " This gown was an extravagance, 
John, but I do think it is a success. ' ' 

" You need your opals," replied the Secretary, who 
took a genuine interest in all the details of his wife's 
toilet, " that string of pearls is too insignificant." 

" You have a perfect passion for those opals," re- 
turned Mrs. Redmond with a little laugh, " and I don't 
like them at all. I had much rather wear the jewels 
you gave me." 

" But it gives me so much pleasure to see you in 
them, dear. You should indulge an old man in such a 
harmless whim." 

" You shall not call yourself old," said Mrs. Red- 
mond, laying a soft little hand across his lips; " of 
course I will wear them if you really wish it. Will you 
ring for Josephine to get them for me?" 

When the maid had departed on her errand Mrs. Red- 
mond stepped back a few paces and looked critically 
at her husband. 

"I'm not satisfied with your appearance, sir," she 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 129 

said severely, " there are lines about your mouth and 
that horrid tired look in your eyes again. What is it, 
John?" 

The Secretary sighed and adjusted his cuff. 

"It is just the outcome of the day, Estelle," he 
replied; " those papers have not yet been found, and 
the President is much annoyed. I think I am getting 
too old for politics; every day, almost every hour, 
brings fresh anxieties, and I do not seem to have the 
ability to cope with them." 

" Is it anything special, dear?" 

" I think," replied the Secretary, putting his arm 
around her waist and seeming to derive some comfort 
from the action, " I think the thing which troubles me 
most is the knowledge that someone I trusted has de- 
ceived me. The papers were undoubtedly stolen by an 
employe of the Department and the thief has not been 
found, therefore I am growing suspicious of everybody, 
a most unhealthy atmosphere in which to live. ' ' 

" John," said Mrs. Redmond as she carefully pinned 
a white carnation to the lapel of his coat, " perhaps 
the papers were not stolen after all; they may only be 
mislaid." 

The Secretary shook his head positively. 
' You don't understand the importance of the mat- 
ter, Estelle," he said quietly; " they were not mislaid. 
The thief must be found, and he need expect no mercy 
from me whoever he may be." 

" "Whoever he may be," repeated Mrs. Redmond ab- 
sently, putting the brushes on the dressing-table 
straight, " he does not deserve any mercy, John. Do 
you really expect to find him ? ' ' 

" Sooner or later he must be found," returned the 

9 



130 THE WIFE OF 

Secretary positively. " What he has done successfully 
once he will attempt again; the cleverest thief inva- 
riably steals one thing too much and in so doing over- 
reaches himelf." 

" Yes," she said breathlessly, " yes, I suppose so. 
Once too often, and then 

" Here is Josephine with the opals," interrupted the 
Secretary cheerfully. ' ' We will talk of something more 
interesting. Let me help you with your necklace." 

With fingers much too large for the work, but 
strangely deft, nevertheless, he unclasped the string of 
pearls and replaced them with the opals, while Jose- 
phine skilfully adjusted the crescent in her mistress's 
dark hair. 

" Estelle," he exclaimed as the maid withdrew, " you 
are the light of my eyes, you know, but sometimes you 
positively dazzle them." 

Mrs. Redmond swept her skirt about her and made 
him a low courtesy. 

" Come," she said, taking his arm, " we must go 
downstairs, it is time for our guests to arrive, and I 
want oh John, I want this dinner to be absolutely 
perfect. If any contretemps occurs I think I should 
like to retire into strictly private life and exist on the 
memory of my past greatness. ' ' 

They had entered the long drawing-room, glowing 
with light and fragrant with many flowers, offering by 
its subdued richness and unobtrusive beauty a silent 
testimonial to the alliance of wealth and good taste a 
combination as rare as it is desirable. 

" Suppose," said the Secretary, glancing carelessly 
about, " suppose, Estelle, I should tell you to-morrow 
morning that all this was gone forever and there was 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 131 

nothing left. That you and I must begin at the begin- 
ning with just each other and our bread to earn, what 
then?" 

Mrs. Redmond caught her breath and raised her eyes 
to his with an indescribably sweet expression. 

" I think, John," she said gravely, " I should be 
almost glad, because I might then perhaps 

" The Russian Ambassador and Countess Alexis," 
announced the footman impassively. 

" Count Valdmir." 

The Secretary and Mrs. Redmond advanced to meet 
their guests, w r ho now arrived in quick succession and 
comprised the principal members of the Diplomatic 
Corps with a slight sprinkling of Americans prominent 
in Washington society by reason of politics or money. 

Among the latter was the Hon. Joshua Grimes, multi- 
millionaire, proprietor of the Daily Messenger, and 
Member of Congress from South Dakota. As Mr. 
Grimes himself would doubtless have remarked, he 
might look a little out of his element among his present 
associates, but when an emergency arose he thought he 
could show them who was the biggest duck in the puddle 
after all. And Mr. Grimes believed an emergency was 
near at hand. 

To Lyndhurst the Member from South Dakota was an 
unfailing source of pleasure. 

" He's so typical, don't you know," the Englishman 
confided to Miss Byrd on one occasion ; " as a rule I 
have been disappointed in the American politician, but 
Mr. Grimes is most satisfactory." 

Mr. Grimes, like many of his kind, was a faddist, and 
revelled in his ability to indulge himself in that direc- 
tion; his hobby was precious stones, and again and 



132 THE WIFE OF 

again his appraising eye sought Mrs. Redmond's opals 
with a covetous, wondering expression, as though 
almost resentful of her right of possession, and his 
fingers positively itched to touch them and assure him- 
self of their reality. 

Dinner ended, he gravitated in her direction that he 
might have a nearer view and perhaps glean a little in- 
formation concerning them. Mrs. Redmond was seated 
upon a small divan beside Miss Byrd, who was chatting 
in a perfunctory manner with Count Valdmir, while 
Monsieur du Pre entertained his hostess with his usual 
volubility. As Mr. Grimes drew near the little French- 
man politely made way for him, but smiled as he ob- 
served his courteous gesture pass unnoticed and ex- 
changed a quick glance with Lyndhurst, who had ap- 
proached with the Secretary and stood facing Mrs. Red- 
mond as she sat with her back to the light, her rich 
gown falling in graceful folds about her and the cres- 
cent in her hair scintillating brilliantly. 

" Surely you are not leaving so early, Mr. Grimes," 
she remarked, under the impression that he had sought 
her to say good-night. 

"I'm a man with one idea, Mrs. Redmond," re- 
turned Mr. Grimes, sitting down abruptly, " it's been 
so with me all my life." 

" Yes?" said Mrs. Redmond politely. 

" First it was money, or, rather, making it. Well, 
I got all I wanted, so it no longer interests me. Just 
now it's stones." 

" Yes?" said Mrs. Redmond again. 

" I've studied 'em a good bit," he continued slowly, 
" and I flatter myself I'm something of a judge. I 
know a good thing when I see it, and being a collector 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 133 

I want one like it. Now I have some pretty good opals, 
but they are not a patch on those of yours. Would you 
mind telling me where you got them?" 

Count Valdmir gave a scarcely perceptible glance 
across the sofa as he continued to discuss the ethics of 
golf with Miss Byrd, and Lyndhurst paused involun- 
tarily before responding to the polite interest of the 
Secretary regarding Devonshire cream. The opal at 
Mrs. Redmond's throat glowed suddenly scarlet, a blue 
flame radiating therefrom as though flaunting its value 
before less costly jewels. 

" Do you like them?" she replied quietly. " I'm so 
glad. I really don't know where they came from origi- 
nally. They are simply family jewels, to be handed 
down from one generation to another." 

' We are always dazzled when Mrs. Redmond wears 
her opals," said Monsieur du Pre with a slight bow. 

' I never saw their equal never," said Mr. Grimes, 
who was plainly much impressed. 

" Nor I," said Count Valdmir, joining suddenly in 
the conversation, " nor I except once." 

"And where was that?" 

" In Egypt, at the Court of the Khedive." 

The Secretary glanced smilingly at his wife, while 
Lyndhurst adjusted his monocle and brought it to bear 
upon Count Valdmir; and by common consent they 
relegated Devonshire and its products to the background 
and joined the group about the divan. 

" I suspect a romance," cried Isabel, laughing; " let 
us hear it, Count. ' ' 

" Not at all a romance," he replied, addressing Miss 
Byrd, but looking beyond her at his hostess, " rather 
a curious superstition regarding them." 



134 THE WIFE OF 

"I'm not much on superstitions," remarked Mr. 
Grimes parenthetically; " I reckon I never had time 
to tamper with 'em. ' ' 

" Tell us, Count," urged Isabel again. 

" Shall I, Madame?" 

" Pray do," said Mrs. Redmond quietly. 

" The Khedive's opals," began Count Valdmir slowly, 
" which, Madame, are quite as beautiful as yours and 
very similar, are not an enviable possession. In fact, 
they are weighted with a curse which brings bad luck 
to the one who wears them." 

"All opals do," interrupted Isabel, " unless one's 
birthday is in October." 

" My birthday is in June," said Mrs. Redmond with 
a little laugh. 

" In the beginning," resumed Count Valdmir, " or 
so the subjects of the Khedive believe, these opals were 
translucent stones, pure and exquisite, but without fire 
or color. They were the property of a Khedive's favor- 
ite many centuries ago. She was, of course, young and 
beautiful, but apparently indiscreet, for she fell in love 
with an officer of the Palace Guard and even raised her 
veil to show him her face. How she happened to see 
him, in spite of the restrictions of the harem, I have 
forgotten, also how she managed to escape. They were, 
however, discovered floating down the Nile together in 
a boat and promptly captured; she was adorned with 
the opals. The man was executed." 

"And the girl," inquired Isabel as he paused for an 
instant, " what of her?" 

" Her hands were bound," he replied impressively, 
" and she was deprived of her veil and turned out into 
the streets, still wearing the jewels. To speak with her 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 135 

or provide her with food or shelter was punishable with 
death, and she wandered about the streets an outcast 
until she succumbed to starvation. Before she died she 
cursed the stones she wore and the man who gave them 
to her, and prayed that her spirit might enter into them 
and bring bad luck to those who wore them, even as 
they had brought disgrace to her." 

"A very vindictive young woman," said Monsieur 
du Pre lightly. 

"And so," continued Count Valdmir slowly, " the 
opals glow and fade and glow again, even as the hearts 
of those who wear them burn, turn cold, and grow pas- 
sionately hot once more. It is also said " 

" Well?" inquired Mrs. Redmond as he paused un- 
certainly. 

' It is also said, Madame, that the Khedive's opals 
are most brilliant when the heart of the wearer is most 
troubled and unhappy, and that should they by any 
chance come into the possession of an absolutely happy 
woman they would lose their evil power, their fiery 
beauty would vanish, and the stones themselves would 
become cracked and worthless." 

" Rot!" ejaculated Mr. Grimes in an audible aside 
while moving disgustedly away, and the little group dis- 
persed as the Secretary proposed music as a balm to 
their lacerated feelings, and escorted Miss Byrd to the 
piano. 

Lyndhurst turned to speak to his hostess, but the 
trivial remark he had intended to make gave place to 
an involuntary pause of admiration. Mrs. Redmond 
leaned back among the pillows on the divan, a red spot 
glowing on her cheeks in opposition to the stones about 
her waist, in her hair, and at her throat, which seemed 



136 THE WIFE OF 

to simultaneously put forth scarlet flames of indigna- 
tion at the concluding words of the story. 

The Englishman pulled at his long, fair mustache and 
sought for an appropriate remark, but his vocabulary, 
unlike Monsieur du Pre's, was not always equal to the 
occasion. So he merely looked down on the picture, 
marvelling at the length of the curling black lashes 
fringing the white lids of the half-closed eyes and un- 
consciously noting each detail of the perfect toilet, from 
the exquisitely dressed hair to the tip of the slipper just 
visible among the folds of the white lace gown. 

And then, suddenly, the lashes were lifted and eyes, 
not blue to-night, but purple and misty as with the 
shadow of suffering, looked directly into his. They said 
something too, and Lyndhurst wondered greatly, for 
the eyes appealed. And as they gazed through the 
monocle, anxiously questioning the heart of the man, 
there flashed into the steady, quiet English eyes an 
answer to the appeal. It was born without his consent 
or volition, it is true, but none the less clear, distinct, 
and definite in its purpose. 

Only an instant, and the black lashes again measured 
their curling length against the cheek, while the scarlet 
of the opals faded, and Lyndhurst removed his monocle 
and carefully polished it with his handkerchief. 

" Shall we join the others?" said Mrs. Redmond, 
rising. 

And Lyndhurst bowed quietly as he returned his 
handkerchief to his pocket and replaced his monocle. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 137 



XIV 



THE Hon. Cecil Lyndhurst signed his name at the 
end of the page and breathed a sigh of satisfaction. The 
Metropolitan Club was comparatively empty save for 
a few faithful landmarks who could always be relied 
upon to be present at that time in the afternoon, and he 
glanced carelessly around, returning a casual nod or 
two, before picking up the many closely written sheets 
and reading them over carefully. 

"My DEAR BOBBT: Do you remember Egypt and our tour of 
duty there? Do you remember that fat old rascal of a Khedive 
with his unctuous voice and oily smile? I have not thought of 
it all for years until quite lately, but it is uppermost in my 
mind just now, so I naturally feel inclined to write to you. 
After all, barring a few mishaps, it was a jolly enough old time 
to look back upon. Do you remember the frantic excitement 
which prevailed when the jewels were lost and our suspicions 
that they iiad been sold? 

" Well, Bobby, the Khedive's opals are here in Washington. 
I, myself, have seen them. What is more, they are the property 
of the wife of the Secretary of State (the First Minister of the 
Cabinet ) . Don't ask me how she got them. I don't know. But 
I do know she wears them regally and they suit her much better 
than they did that corpulent old heathen who sported them the 
first time I saw them. No, I am not mistaken. They are the 
real thing. The question is, how came they here? Naturally 
one cannot express surprise at the jewels one's hostess elects to 
wear, but, Bobby, how did it all happen? Mrs. Redmond is a 
stunning-looking woman, very much to the manner born. I dined 
there last night and she wore the opals again. I hope I did not 



138 THE WIFE OF 

stare unduly, but I felt as though my eyes would bulge out of 
my head. The Khedive's opals. Think of it! And she wore 
them as calmly as though they were a string of glass beads. 

" Do you remember that unfinished sketch in water-colors of a 
girl's head coming out of clouds that we found among poor 
Bertie Hertford's things in Berlin, and which I kept because I 
liked it? It was called 'Star of the World,' I believe; somehow 
I always think of that when I see Mrs. Redmond. Bobby, she is 
a woman who dominates you, fascinates you, interests you, even 
without the Khedive's opals. With them, well you can imagine 
the combination. 

" The diplomatic kettle is boiling hard, and I sometimes fear 
it may splash over and burn somebody's fingers. The Roostchook 
affair, of course, is at the bottom of the trouble; du Pr6 is 
here, garrulous and inquisitive as of old, and Russia has sent 
Valdmir on special duty; further comment on that score is 
unnecessary. Our chief has assigned to me the very unwelcome 
task of following up the Roostchook matter and getting all pos- 
sible information concerning it, to be embodied in a report to 
the Home Office. You know him and his methods; I do not like 
them and may ask to be recalled. 

" 1 have had word from the Paris Secret Service that that old 
fox, Colonel St. John, has been traced to America, and have 
pulled the wires on this side to track him to his covert. You 
know 1 never saw him but once, and yet I think I would recog- 
nize him anywhere. Well, not long ago, as I was going out to 
dinner one night, 1 thought I saw him. I gave chase, of course, 
but lost him in an alley, got bogged in some deserted garden, 
and was unpardonably late for dinner in consequence. Some- 
times I feel half inclined to drop the whole thing, man-hunting 
is not to my taste, but then I think of Bertie, poor old chap, 
with that nasty hole in his temple the first Hertford to be- 
smirch the name. And of Evelyn. One does not like to see 
youth, hope, and happiness snatched from one's twin sister at a 
single fell swoop, and when I think of Evie's eyes and lips when 
she first heard the truth about the man she loved why, then 
I am determined Colonel St. John and his daughter shall reap 
what they have sown, if it takes every pound I have in the world 
to bring it about. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 139 

"Except for diplomacy (my chosen career) I should be enjoy- 
ing myself immensely. I think I like America and Americans, 
on the whole; they wear well. Get a detail, Bobby, and come 
over. Chuck Berlin and the stolid frauleins and try the States 
with their Goddesses of Liberty. You will find the change in- 
spiring. Come over, old man, and after awhile we will get a 
leave and steal away to the Rocky Mountains and the prairies 
of the far West after big game. I like this country and want to 
explore it further. Come and help me. 

" LYNDHURST." 

" P. S. I am sending you under separate cover the sketch 
' Star of the World.' Please try and find out if it is a fancy 
head, and, if not, the name of the model. Bobby, I am haunted 
by those opals. 

" L." 



Lyndhurst addressed an envelope to Lord Robert 
Tresilian, Embassy of Great Britain, Berlin, and 
stamped it with great care. Then he strolled to the 
window and was enthusiastically greeted by Monsieur 
du Pre, who occupied a chair commanding an unob- 
structed view of the street. The Metropolitan Club 
stands on a corner of an important thoroughfare and is 
admirably situated for the edification of window-gazers. 

" Sit down," said the little Frenchman cordially, 
" sit down. I can make room. It is really entertaining, 
is it not?" 

" What?" inquired Lyndhurst idly. 

" To see the women run for the street-cars," returned 
the other with a chuckle ; ' ' how droll they look, to be 
sure, and how vexed they are when just as they think 
they have arrived they discover they have not." 

Lyndhurst laughed, but declined the chair. 

" They hear the car approaching around the corner," 
resumed Monsieur du Pre, with evident enjoyment of 



140 THE WIFE OF 

his theme, " then they clutch their skirts tight in the 
back with one hand and scuttle. It is to them the last 
car in the world, and they strive nobly, if vainly, for it. 
When it passes them they look up and down the street 
with a vacant smile, as though to say, ' I wonder if 
anybody saw me ? ' 

" Now, my dear Madame," he continued, apostro- 
phizing a stout female strenuously endeavoring to reach 
the corner in time, " believe me, it is useless as well as 
most ungraceful. Women and cows should never run. 
Ah ! I would I were an artist ! ' ' 

The Englishman laughed again as the stout lady 
looked furtively about with the vapid smile described 
by his companion, while the car sped on without her. 

" Do you really mean to say, du Pre," he inquired 
curiously, " that you sit for hours in that window just 
for this?" 

" Why not?" returned the little Attache dryly, " it is 
amusing, n'est ce pas? It is also harmless, which many 
amusements are not. Then, why not indulge oneself? 
Also, I have made a discovery ; three women out of five 
are what is it you say? pigeon-toed when they run. 
It is not so with little girls. A point for a student of 
femininity to elucidate. Miss Barlow makes her debut 
this afternoon, do you attend? No? Perhaps you are 
wise; she is a plain little girl with a poor complexion, 
and there is usually more apollinaris than champagne in 
the punch they serve." 

But Monsieur du Pre found himself declaiming to 
space, for Lyndhurst had caught a glimpse of a brown 
velvet gown and a coil of red-gold hair in the drug-store 
opposite, and lost no time in following it. 

" We are going to do something very hazardous as 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 141 

soon as Mrs. Redmond can decide on the proper quan- 
tity of orris in her sachet," announced Miss Byrd as 
he greeted them with genuine pleasure and counterfeit 
surprise; " perhaps, if you are very good, we will take 
you with us." 

" I am a stranger in a strange land," he returned 
solemnly. " I do not wish to do anything very desper- 
ate at the outset of my career." 

Mrs. Redmond turned from the counter and took up 
her muff. 

" I think you will be entirely safe, Mr. Lyndhurst," 
she remarked cordially. " Miss Byrd is going to take 
me into a haunted house quite near. The ghost is very 
genuine, of course, and very terrible. I shall be glad of 
your protection." 

" It is the Octagon House," explained Isabel as they 
turned into Eighteenth Street. " Perhaps you have 
already been there?" 

But Lyndhurst replied absently as he looked about 
him with some curiosity. 

" Is this the place?" he inquired with very evident 
surprise as they paused before the old house. 
" Surely- 

He checked himself abruptly and followed his guide 
up the white stone steps. 

" Does your blood curdle in your veins?" demanded 
the girl as she pushed open the door and entered the 
circular hall. " See, it is not even locked. No one 
would ever take refuge in the Octagon House at night. ' ' 

"Is it quite empty?" inquired Lyndhurst after a 
moment's silence. "Is it used for no purpose what- 
ever?" 

" Can you not see that it is a deserted house?" re- 



142 THE WIFE OF 

plied Isabel quickly. " I believe there is a janitor, or 
caretaker, but one never meets him. What do you think 
of it, Estelle?" 

Mrs. Redmond glanced about. 

"It is charming!" she exclaimed, looking at the 
curved stairway, with the broad window on the landing, 
and the quaint old stoves on each side of the hall. ' ' Tell 
us its history, Isabel." 

And Isabel told them, leading the way from room 
to room, until she came to the dining-room, which bore 
traces of recent occupancy, for cigar-ashes lay on the 
single deal table and a scrap of paper covered with fig- 
ures had fallen to the floor. 

" See," she said, pointing to the table, " how incon- 
gruous it looks. The caretaker lives on the top floor ; I 
suppose he uses this room sometimes. There are secret 
doors every here and there. I used to know how to open 
some of them. ' ' 

She pressed a panel in the wall beside her and a door 
slowly swung open, leading into a small, triangular 
space, with a large window looking out on Eighteenth 
Street. 

" There is also a door going into the hall," she con- 
tinued, opening it as she spoke and leading the way 
out. " Very few people know of these passages. See, 
here is another. It is possible to go from the hall to the 
attic and no one would be any the wiser. ' ' 

Lyndhurst had lingered in the space off the dining- 
room. He was gazing as though fascinated at the frame 
of the window where the wood was splintered until it 
was rough and uneven, and at a rusty nail in the floor. 
At last he carefully untangled several long strands of 
hair from the former; they were red-gold in color and 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 143 

glittered in the rays of the setting sun. Stooping has- 
tily, he removed something from the nail ; it was a strip 
of pale-blue gauze. The Hon. Cecil folded it carefully 
and put it in his card-case. Then he joined the ladies 
on the landing, where they stood looking through the 
broad window into the weedy old garden with its neg- 
lected brick wall and muddy walks. 

" Back of the garden," Isabel was saying, "is an 
alley." 

" Which runs through from F Street to New York 
Avenue, ' ' supplemented Mrs. Redmond. 

" Why, Estelle, how do you know so much about it? 
One would think you had been here before." 

" I have never been in the house, Isabel, but I know 
the neighborhood. As to the alley, it is a natural suppo- 
sition that it leads from one street to another, is it not, 
Mr. Lyndhurst?" 

" Quite correct in this case, Mrs. Redmond," he re- 
turned, watching Isabel closely. " I know, for I had 
occasion to go down it one stormy night not long ago. 
And about half-way through the wall is broken, leaving 
quite a gap into the garden. One might easily crawl 
through if one did not mind the mud on the other side." 

Mrs. Redmond moved suddenly. 

" Come," she said quickly, " we are wasting time. 
It is getting late and I really must look in at the Bar- 
lows this afternoon. Take us upstairs, Isabel, and let 
us see all we can." 

And Isabel led the way, her head held very erect and 
a scarlet spot glowing on each cheek. 

Up on the top floor the caretaker sat stupidly on the 
side of his couch and rubbed his eyes drowsily. Colonel 
St. John had become a very busy man of late. He 



144 THE WIFE OF 

must perform the duties of watchman at the State De- 
partment, and maintain his establishment in Jackson 
City, as well as do certain necessary drafting work, and 
he found this multiplicity of duties irksome. The sound 
of voices below did not surprise him, as the old house 
was frequently visited before nightfall and he knew he 
was secure from interruption in his remote room. He 
heard the visitors pause in the upper hall and a man's 
voice comment on the ingenious plan of the interior. 

" You must see the basement, Mr. Lyndhurst," said 
a woman's voice. " I think 

But what she thought did not interest Colonel St. 
John. He sat stolidly upon his cot and put his hand to 
his head as though endeavoring to recall something. 
Lyndhurst. The name seemed suggestive. Suddenly 
an ashen pallor overspread his face and his weak lips 
trembled uncontrollably; the fear of the hunted shone 
in his eyes and his fingers twitched nervously. 

Colonel St. John had remembered. 

Voices and footsteps retreated and finally became in- 
audible, although he listened for them with strained at- 
tention. It seemed to him hours that he sat motionless 
upon the unsteady cot, although it was in reality but a 
few moments before he rose and stole noiselessly into the 
hall. His impulse was for instant flight and he wished 
to assure himself that the coast was clear. So he crept 
quietly to the banisters and looked over them; looked 
down the winding stairway, past the window on the land- 
ing, into the hall below. He also looked directly into 
Mrs. Redmond's blue eyes as she stood waiting for her 
companions and admiring the symmetrical curves of the 
stairway as it wound its way to the third floor. 

Beads of cold perspiration appeared on Colonel St. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 145 

John's forehead, running in chilly little rivers down his 
neck as he clutched the banisters and stared as though 
fascinated into the eyes raised to his, in which the first 
candid surprise was gradually replaced by a shadow of 
puzzled uncertainty, fast changing into incredulous 
horror. 

Summoning all his resolution to his assistance, the old 
man detached himself from the banisters and stumbled 
to his room. 

" God in heaven!" he exclaimed as he again sank 
down on his couch, " this country is no place for me." 

Isabel and her companion, returning from exploring 
the basement, found Mrs. Redmond on the outside steps, 
white-lipped and pallid. 

" What is it?" said the girl quickly; " what is it, 
Estelle?" 

" I think," replied Mrs. Redmond with a strange 
little laugh, ' ' I think, Isabel, I have seen the ghost. ' ' 



10 



146 THE WIFE OF 



XV 



" I HAVE seen the ghost," Mrs. Redmond repeated as 
she stood alone in her bedroom an hour or so later. 

The woman whose book of life contains no turned-down 
page is doubtless to be congratulated. Her record is 
wonderfully smooth and legible, without a crumpled 
leaf or a defacing blot, and she is entitled to look upon 
it with complacency or display it to the world at large. 
She may even submit it to the eyes of her dear five hun- 
dred friends, and be quite safe in so doing, for they will 
not read it. It will not interest them. 

If, however, this record were less fair and legible, 
with pages creased or blotted, and here and there one 
gone entirely, these same dear friends would, in all prob- 
ability, scan it eagerly, condemning what they could not 
understand and supplying the necessary pages with 
avidity. Therefore it behooves one to be careful of one 's 
manuscript. It is, on the whole, wiser to be immaculate 
than interesting. 

Estelle Redmond wanted to be alone. Her temples 
throbbed painfully and she was conscious of a tight- 
ening of the muscles of her throat and a desire to lie 
face downward among the pillows on her couch and stay 
there indefinitely. 

Through the half -open door she could see her maid 
moving about arranging the accessories of her toilet, and 
she knew that in a few minutes she must dress for din- 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 147 

ner. Josephine entered quietly and laid the delicate 
gown upon the bed, touching it softly, with a true 
Frenchwoman's appreciation of its texture. 

" In ten minutes," said Mrs. Redmond, and the maid 
withdrew. 

Twenty minutes passed, and when she again ventured 
to open the door her mistress still stood beside the win- 
dow gazing fixedly out into the night. 

" Madame perhaps likes to watch the snow," re- 
marked Josephine suggestively, and Mrs. Redmond ac- 
quiesced, although for the first time aware of the great, 
white flakes falling silently. 

" Josephine," she said after a long pause, while the 
maid brushed out her dark hair and skilfully arranged 
it, "it's Christmas Eve, isn't it?" 

" Yes, Madame," replied the girl wonderingly. " I 
sent your packages as you directed, and James will take 
the flow r ers to the hospitals himself early in the morn- 
ing." 

" Christmas Eve," she repeated absently; " it seems 
so strange." 

Josephine deftly inserted a hairpin and looked criti- 
cally at the result. 

' ' Madame is a little pale, ' ' she observed thoughtfully, 
" just a touch of rouge perhaps a mere soupQon?" 

Mrs. Redmond anxiously studied her reflection in the 
mirror and willingly submitted to the suggested soupcon. 

" I must look well to-night," she said quickly, " very 
well, Josephine. Are you sure my hair is just right? 
It seems to me too high from my forehead. ' ' 

' ' Oh Madame, it is perfect. Do not destroy my work, 
I entreat you," cried Josephine in heartrending accents, 
and Mrs. Redmond made no further suggestions, but 



148 THE WIFE OF 

joined her husband in response to his message that the 
carriage had been waiting for some time. 

The Secretary tucked the fur robe carefully about his 
wife an attention he never delegated to the footman. 

" To the British Embassy," he said as he leaned back 
in his corner thoughtfully. The day had brought re- 
newed anxieties and the prospect of the evening was dis- 
tasteful to him. Mrs. Redmond, however, sat erect, her 
hands clinched under her cloak and her breath coming 
and going quickly between her parted lips. They sat 
thus, each too preoccupied to notice the unusual silence 
of the other, until the footman threw open the carriage 
door and they became aware that they were under the 
porte-cochere of the British Embassy, with the Lion and 
the Unicorn struggling valiantly for the Crown above 
them. 

Once inside the big red-brick house, one realized that 
the Yuletide was indeed at hand, for holly and mistle- 
toe predominated in the decorations, and the pungent 
odor of evergreens replaced the customary perfume of 
roses most acceptably. 

" Really," remarked the Hon. Cecil Lyndhurst as he 
greeted Miss Byrd preparatory to taking her in to din- 
ner, " I had no idea when I saw you a few hours ago 
that I was to have this pleasure. It's awfully jolly in 
Lady Desmond to send us in together but perhaps you 
don 't agree with me. ' ' 

And Miss Byrd replied that it was very jolly indeed. 

" You know a small dance follows," he continued as 
they entered the dining-room. " How many will you 
give me ? Remember, it is Christmas and be generous. ' ' 

' ' I don 't feel like dancing to-night, ' ' returned the 
girl ; ' ' I 'm tired, I think. But I will sit out the first 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 149 

and fifth with you, if that will do as well. We are 
leaving early, because Aunt Mary wants to go to the first 
service to-morrow." 

Lyndhurst turned and looked at her curiously; her 
manner was without its usual vivacity and her voice 
spiritless. 

" Was your Christmas doll stuffed with sawdust?" he 
inquired, smiling, " or has the season begun to pall upon 
you already?" 

" No," she replied with a little laugh, " it's not that. 
I believe it's the shadow of the Octagon House. If I 
were superstitious, I would think the ghost haunted me 
or had east a spell over me. I wish we had never gone 
there. How did it affect you ? ' ' 

" Well," he responded, "to be truthful, I think it 
made me very hungry. ' ' 

Isabel shrugged her shoulders impatiently and, turn- 
ing pointedly to her other neighbor, began to exchange 
the customary polite inanities with him, while Lynd- 
hurst reflectively absorbed his soup in silence. 

It was Lady Desmond's private opinion that although 
the Secretary of State might be a brilliant diplomat, he 
was a singularly stupid conversationalist, and she longed 
for dinner and her martyrdom to come to a simultaneous 
end. 

" Everyone should have some small talk," she com- 
plained later when discussing the subject with her hus- 
band. 

And the British Ambassador remarked that he be- 
lieved the Department of State was getting a bit in- 
volved, and naturally the head thereof was preoccupied. 

" Madame," said Monsieur du Pre to Mrs. Redmond 
later in the evening, " this is our dance." 



150 THE WIFE OF 

" Pardon me," interrupted Count Valdmir quickly, 
' ' you are mistaken, du Pre ; Mrs. Redmond promised 
me this dance. Is it not so, Madame?" 

He spoke confidently, and Mrs. Redmond acquiesced 
with a brief word of apology to the little Frenchman, 
who bowed profoundly and twisted his mustache sav- 
agely as he withdrew. 

" Poor du Pre," said Count Valdmir with a short 
laugh, " it is unkind to rob him this way, but the music 
is divine and the floor excellent." 

" We will not dance," said Mrs. Redmond quietly, 
" I wish to talk to you." 

" I am flattered, Madame." 

They found a sofa in a small inner drawing-room, and 
he carefully arranged a cushion at her back. 

" I wish you did not hate me so cordially," he said, 
with a ring of evident sincerity in his voice ; ' ' it is not 
my fault that you are a victim of circumstances, and 
I do not hate you. ' ' 

The light in Count Valdmir 's eyes would have sur- 
prised his diplomatic associates had they been present, 
but Mrs. Redmond looked beyond him through the holly- 
decked room with no apparent realization of his prox- 
imity. Suddenly she began to speak, her voice expres- 
sionless and mechanical. 

" I went this afternoon to the Octagon House," she 
said slowly, " with Miss Byrd and Mr. Lyndhurst." 

" Yes?" he responded interrogatively. 

Count Valdmir 's eyes were entirely normal now and 
his voice calmly interested. 

" I saw him," she continued with an obvious effort. 

A moment's silence followed as he caressed bis mus- 
tache without replying. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 151 

" You told me he was dead," she resumed slowly, 
" and I believed you. In spite of everything, I believed 
you." 

" I also, Madame, believed it when I told you. I 
thought my authority good. I assure you 

She made an impatient motion with her hand, as 
though to wave aside any protestations. 

" He is, of course, in your pay," she said quietly. 
' ' You make a strong combination, Count. ' ' 

He bent forward a little that he might better see her 
face. 

" I am sorry you saw him," he said earnestly. " It 
was not my intention to distress you in this way. He 
did not know you were in America and I should never 
have enlightened him. I regret it extremely." 

" You were always solicitous for my welfare," she 
remarked dryly. " I am indebted to you for many acts 
of thought f ulness, Count Valdmir." 

" Listen," he interrupted authoritatively, " I can 
force him to leave the country, and when I am through 
with him he shall go. Meanwhile, he will not annoy 
you upon one condition." 

The lace upon her corsage moved quickly and she 
clasped her hands with a sudden involuntary motion. 

' ' A short time, ' ' he said quietly, ' ' a few weeks, per- 
haps, and it will all be over. I shall have returned to 
Russia and he shall go also. I swear it. What are a 
few weeks now compared to the years which are to 
come?" 

" The long years," she returned with a slight shiver. 

He watched her keenly, his eyes narrowing strangely. 

" You agree?" he said abruptly. 

" On Christmas Eve," said Mrs. Redmond, as though 



152 THE WIFE OF 

continuing a train of thought, " he went away and left 
me alone in Paris, without friends or money you 
know. ' ' 

"Yes, I know." 

" I had a struggle, but I lived honestly. After 
awhile I met my husband; we came here and I began a 
new life. I was happy until I saw you, and now, on 
Christmas Eve, he too appears in Washington. ' ' 

" Tell me," said Count Valdmir as she paused uncer- 
tainly, ' ' what you would do to render your future abso- 
lutely secure and happy?" 

Through the open door the voice of the British Am- 
bassador could be heard in eloquent narration of his 
prowess on the hunting-field, mingled with staccato 
notes of feminine admiration as his companion endeav- 
ored to appear politely interested. Count Valdmir re- 
peated his question, compelling Mrs. Redmond to raise 
her eyes to his by the intensity of his will. 

" There is nothing I would not do," she said unwill- 
ingly, " nothing." 

The smouldering fire generally kept so well hidden 
shone in the Russian's eyes for the second time that 
night. 

" Then you agree?" he said again, his voice modu- 
lated to careful indifference. 

" I agree," she replied firmly, " God forgive me, I 
agree. ' ' 

" Not later than Thursday," he said slowly; " you 
remember, I explained the reason once before. I shall 
expect you. On Thursday then?" 

" On Thursday," she repeated decidedly. 

The British Ambassador had finished his description 
of the hunt and passed through bound for the card-room, 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 153 

stopping to exchange a word with Mrs. Redmond en 
route. 

" Oh, you know, I really dislike whist," she replied 
as he invited her to join him, " and I play such a miser- 
able game you would soon regret your rashness. ' ' 

And the Ambassador laughed and passed on. 

" My dance, Mrs. Redmond," said Lyndhurst, who 
had followed in the wake of his chief. " There is no 
end of holly and mistletoe in the ballroom, and every- 
body looks quite festive except Miss Byrd, who says she 
is still under the shadow of the Octagon House and 
can't be persuaded to waltz. I hope our expedition did 
not affect you the same way. ' ' 

"Au revoir, Madame," remarked Count Valdmir, 
stooping to pick up her handkerchief, " and many 
thanks." 

Mrs. Redmond rose and moved towards the door with 
a subdued rustle of silken skirts and the dissemination 
of an odor of violets. 

" By the way, Count," she said, pausing suddenly, 
" I will send you that translation you mentioned the 
other day. It is quite ready; I meant to have sent it 
before this." 

" Madame," he replied, bowing, " you are more than 
kind. I shall value it as your work." 

Josephine's soupcon of rouge was quite unnecessary 
as Mrs. Redmond turned away and entered the ballroom, 
where she chanced to encounter the Secretary thank- 
fully depositing a stout dowager in a convenient corner. 
She willingly assented to his whispered request for an 
early departure, and heard the carriage door slam with 
a sigh of evident relief. 

" You are tired, dear," he remarked, fondly putting 



154 THE WIFE OF 

his arm about her, much to the detriment of the lace and 
chiffon on her gown. 

She acquiesced quietly, and the drive home was ac- 
complished in silence. 

Contrary to her usual custom, Mrs. Eedmond did not 
go to the library with her husband while he smoked the 
cigar without which he never felt the day properly con- 
cluded, and listened to her narration of its events and 
plans for the morrow. 

Instead, she went at once to her room and, hastily 
getting into a dressing-gown, dismissed her sleepy maid 
with a kind good-night and a courteous word of acknowl- 
edgment of her services. Mrs. Redmond was uniformly 
considerate of her servants and correspondingly popular 
with them. 

Josephine gone, she opened a drawer in her jewel-case 
and took therefrom a small leather box, shabby and 
worn, with the unmistakable air of having passed through 
various vicissitudes and suffered much in transit. An 
odd assortment of treasures was revealed when the cover 
was lifted newspaper clippings, bits of broken jewelry, 
one or two letters, yellow and faded with time, and an 
old-fashioned daguerrotype in its velvet case. 

Mrs. Redmond pressed the spring of the latter; it 
contained the pictures of a man and a woman set about 
with brilliants. The woman was young and remark- 
ably lovely. The blue eyes which looked out of the 
faded case were strangely like the eyes which gazed 
down at them and softened as they looked until a mist 
hid the picture from view. 

This mist was replaced by an angry sparkle as Mrs. 
Redmond looked from the woman to the man. Young, 
well-groomed, and handsome, with blue eyes also and an 



THE SECRETARY OP STATE 155 

engaging appearance of frankness, he seemed a fitting 
companion to the girl framed beside him; yet upon 
closer scrutiny the chin showed weakness, the thin lips 
both cruelty and cunning, and one felt rather sorry for 
her, after all. 

" The ghost," said Mrs. Redmond aloud, " the ghost 
who is responsible for much." 

She closed the box, walked over to the window, and, 
lifting the heavy curtain, looked out into the street, 
her forehead pressed against the glass. 

" On Thursday," she said mechanically, " on Thurs- 
day." 

The snow had ceased to fall and the city spread away 
into space, draped in a white mantel whose beautifying 
touch purified the most unsavory regions, and lent an 
added charm to the dignified buildings of the Govern- 
ment and handsome dwellings of the wealthy. An occa- 
sional carriage passed; now and then a party of holly- 
ladened merrymakers returned from a late expedition 
to the market; and not far away the boy choir of St. 
John's, returning from the midnight service, chanted 
the tidings of great joy brought by the Star in the East 
to the wise men of old. 

The Secretary quickly dispatched his cigar and fol- 
lowed his wife upstairs. He joined her at the window 
and, putting his arm about her waist, listened to the 
sweet young voices grow gradually fainter until they 
died away in the distance. 

" Peace on earth, good-will towards men," he re- 
peated softly as he drew the curtain. 



156 THE WIFE OF 



XVI 



" PEACE on earth, good-will towards men." 

It is the old message of the Christmas-tide repeated 
annually for many centuries, yet always welcomed and 
rejoiced in. 

" Peace on earth." 

God's earth to-day, not man's, and therefore peaceful 
indeed. The very atmosphere is different from yester- 
day and unlike what may be expected to-morrow ; one 
should drink deeply thereof, for it is soon adulterated. 

" Good-will towards men." 

For this one day good-will towards men. Three 
hundred and sixty-four days for envy, hatred, and 
malice ; just one for charity. Therefore make the most 
of it; forgive, and, if possible, forget. 

" Good-will towards men." 

Colonel St. John went to the window of his Jackson 
City residence, breathed on the frosty pane, rubbed it 
clear with his coat-sleeve, and looked out. The Potomac 
was frozen almost solid and the Long Bridge, outlined 
in snow and fringed with icicles, glittered in the sun- 
shine, while above the snow-draped roofs and steeples 
the Washington Monument merged its stately shaft into 
the horizon. 

Colonel St. John had an eye for the beautiful and 
admired the picture even while he cursed his ill-luck, 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 157 

for destiny obliged him to walk across that glistening 
bridge, and it was very slippery. 

The slothfulness of Jackson City by daylight bears 
but little resemblance to its activity by night, and but 
few pedestrians were abroad to wish Colonel St. John 
a Merry Christmas as he closed and locked his front 
door, turned up the collar of his coat, and sallied forth. 
One small voice did indeed venture to salute him with 
the " Chris 'mas gif ' of the South, and he flung a 
silver dollar at the little darky, who sprang gleefully 
to pick it up, astonished at the munificence of the gift. 
Colonel St. John felt warmer and more cheerful as he 
parted with the coin ; he almost believed himself a well- 
disposed, charitable fellow, after all, but a victim of 
circumstances. 

It was nearly noon when he ascended the steps of the 
Octagon House and pushed open the front door, with a 
furtive look up and down the street, as though fearing 
someone would question his right of entrance. The 
cheerless exterior of the old red-brick structure pre- 
sented a marked contrast to the neighboring residences, 
with wreaths of holly in their windows and the inde- 
finable air of festivity inseparable from the season. 

The Octagon House was not decked with holly, nor 
were any evidences of good-will apparent to the casual 
observer. Peaceful indeed it might be considered, if 
by peace is understood the pall of silence which envelops 
long-unused rooms, where the fall of a footstep rever- 
berates with hollow distinctness and the sound of a voice 
awakens unexpected and unwelcome echoes, which die 
away reluctantly, as though unwilling to become even 
an integral portion of the oppressively obtrusive space. 

Colonel St. John shivered as he mounted the winding 



158 THE WIFE OF 

staircase and hastened towards the room at the top of 
the house where he had placed a cot and a few articles 
of furniture, among them an oil-stove whose warmth he 
felt would be most acceptable. He had an engagement 
that morning which admitted of no postponement, also 
a bit of unfinished work which must be completed where 
he felt secure from interruption, so he lighted his stove 
and, drawing the small table close to it, bent anxiously 
over the sheet of tracing-paper with its unfinished out- 
lines and marginal notes which awaited his attention. 

He worked carefully for some minutes, then dropped 
his pen and pushed back his chair impatiently. The 
oil-stove smoked and filled the atmosphere with its pun- 
gent and unpleasant odor, but Colonel St. John sat 
absorbed in thought, unconscious of his surroundings 
and oblivious of the fleeting moments. After a while 
he drew from his pocket a shabby leather case and 
studied its contents with interest. It contained two like- 
nesses one a woman in the full glory of her young 
beauty, the other a laughing baby. Colonel St. John 
glanced casually at the woman, but scrutinized the baby 
closely. 

" The wife of the Secretary of State," he ejaculated 
aloud, " his wife." 

Laying the open case upon the table at his side, he 
resumed his pen while his lips parted in a slow, sinister 
smile and his close-set eyes narrowed until they seemed 
like mere slits. 

Meanwhile downstairs the front door swung slowly 
open; it was not essential to be provided with a key 
in order to enter the Octagon House. Indeed, its lock 
had long ago refused to work and no one had considered 
it necessary to repair it. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 159 

The visitor advanced to the rear of the hall with the 
manner of one familiar with his surroundings, and, 
passing through a door at the left, began his ascent to 
the top by means of a back stairway so constructed 
as to be entirely separate and apart from the rest of the 
house. He moved quietly, picking his way with care 
and occasionally pausing to brush a bit of dust or cobweb 
from his coat, for the spiders had long been busy on the 
old back stairs. 

And again the front door opened and shut, its creak- 
ing hinges complaining fretfully of overwork. 

Out in the garden the snow lay smooth and spotless, 
covering even the broken wall with its kindly mantle of 
purity. Had anyone glanced from the large window on 
the landing, they might have seen a woman force her 
way through the gap and over the unsteady pile of 
bricks at its base. She moved quickly, holding her long, 
dark cloak closely about her and advancing with the 
steady determination which permits not even a glance 
to the right or the left lest progress may thereby be 
retarded. 

The rusty latch of the back door yielded reluctantly, 
to her touch as she slipped quietly inside and looked 
about. She was quite alone. 

The spiders on the back stairs told no tales of the dis- 
turber of their peace who had so recently passed that 
way, and the stairs themselves looked dark and unin- 
viting, so she hesitated a moment, then went into the 
front hall, stopping now and then to listen and drawing 
her cloak closer, as though to keep the penetrating chill 
of the place from reaching her heart. 

At the foot of the stairs she paused, her hand on the 
rail. Was that a noise? 



160 THE WIFE OF 

" Only a mouse in the wall," she murmured as she 
began the ascent. 

Colonel St. John, bending over the little table, was 
conscious of a draught. A blast of cold air struck the 
back of his neck unpleasantly, and with a muttered 
malediction on the untrustworthy latch of the door he 
rose to investigate. 

A woman stood on the threshold, tall and slender, 
with both hands raised to untie the dark veil which 
obscured her face. The hands shook slightly and the 
knot proved obstinate, but at last the veil was removed 
and she looked full at the old man, who stared incredu- 
lously in return, his jaw dropping and his lips twitching 
uncontrollably. 

" Estelle?" he ejaculated at last, " Estelle?" 

" Yes," she replied slowly, " Estelle." 

' ' You are alone ? " he whispered apprehensively, after 
several ineffectual efforts to speak. 

" Quite alone," she returned coldly. " I am in your 
power not you in mine." 

Colonel St. John's countenance resumed its normal 
expression, and he placed a chair for his guest with a 
suggestion of the courtly manner for which he had once 
been famous. 

" So you recognized me yesterday?" he remarked 
easily, with the casual manner of one desirous of making 
conversation. 

She nodded absently. 

" It was most kind in you to look me up so soon," 
he continued cordially; " I confess, I did not expect 
it." 

She opened her bag and produced a blank check, 
which she folded unconsciously into little squares. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 161 

' ' How much will you take to leave the country ? ' ' she 
inquired curtly. 

Colonel St. John adjusted the wick of his oil-stove 
carefully and eyed the bit of pink paper with genuine 
admiration. 

' ' The world has gone well with you, my dear, ' ' he re- 
marked thoughtfully. " I rejoice in your good fortune. 
Perhaps some reflected glory may fall on me, though as 
yet I have not profited 

A board in the hall without creaked suddenly and ho 
crossed quickly to the door and opened it. The passage 
was quite empty, and Colonel St. John shrugged his 
shoulders sceptically as he returned to his visitor. 

" I am expecting Valdmir, " he remarked casually. 
" I thought he might perhaps have arrived." 

Estelle Redmond had risen, and as the old man ad- 
vanced lifted her eyes to his eyes no longer blue and 
cold with a spark of anger in them, but purple and 
softened by a mist of tears. 

" Father," she whispered involuntarily, " father." 

His brow contracted suddenly and he sank into the 
chair beside the table, while she bent over him, her hand 
upon his shoulder and a loose tendril of her hair brush- 
ing his wrinkled cheek. 

" Father," she repeated gently, " you'll go away, 
won 't you ? 

" I have been so happy," she continued, after waiting 
a moment for a reply. "I'm married, had you heard? 
I never met an honorable man before I don't think I 
even knew the word until my husband introduced me to 
it. I never realized the way good men looked at things, 
things we did, you know, and I would rather die 
than have him hear about them." 

11 



162 THE WIFE OF 

Somewhere outside a sleigh passed, the sound of its 
jingling bells forcing itself obtrusively into the quiet 
room. 

As she again paused for a reply she noticed the open 
case upon the table, with its rubbed and faded cover 
and the two faces, the woman and the baby. Estelle 
carefully brushed a speck of dust from the face of the 
woman. 

" For her sake," she said softly, " let me be happy 
for her sake, father." 

Colonel St. John raised his head and looked beyond 
his daughter; a quiet movement of the doorknob had 
arrested his attention, and his eyes focussed anxiously 
upon it. Very slowly the door opened, a little way only, 
but far enough for the old man to see distinctly the 
finger placed on the lips of the listening face a finger 
imperatively commanding silence, even as the eyes which 
met his managed to convey a threat. Colonel St. John 
made an effort to speak, and shook off the little hand 
which lay on his as though fearing it might convey some 
subtle and undue influence. 

" You'll go away," said the soft voice close to his 
ear; " every month I'll send you money, and you can 
live somewhere quietly and honestly. My life's happi- 
ness is at stake you understand, don't you?" 

Yes, he understood. Colonel St. John was not lacking 
in intelligence and fully appreciated the situation. It 
seemed to him to contain a surprising number of possi- 
bilities, and he could not help wishing he had been 
allowed to deal with it alone and unobserved. As it was, 
however, the door moved ever so little and he felt it was 
incumbent upon him to speak. 

" Was it quite prudent in you to come here this 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 163 

morning?" he inquired with the impersonal manner of 
a wholly disinterested observer. 

And his daughter straightened herself abruptly with 
a disappointed sigh. 

" I might have known," she said bitterly, " I might 
have known." 

The folded check fell upon the floor and he stooped 
furtively to pick it up. 

" It's not signed," he whispered eagerly, coming 
closer. " Estelle, you've forgotten to sign it, my my 
dear." 

The door was wide open now, but the whole attention 
of the old man was concentrated upon the bit of creased 
pink paper. 

' Here's a pen," he continued, turning to the table; 
" you like a stub, I know. You see, I still remember 
your tastes, my dear a stub pen and very black ink. ' ' 

He smoothed out the check carefully and dipped the 
pen in the ink. 

" Now," he exclaimed persuasively, " now, my dear 
child." 

But the hand which closed upon the pen was larger 
than Colonel St. John expected, and he turned swiftly, 
his assured manner giving way to a deprecating smile as 
Count Valdmir tore the check in bits and contempt- 
uously tossed aside the fragments. 

" So ! " said that gentleman, ' ' is the greed for money 
so great you chose to ignore the fact I could both see 
and hear?" 

"A family matter, Count," the Colonel stammered 
uneasily, " a little gift from my daughter nothing 
more. ' ' 

Mrs. Redmond had crossed the room and stood lean- 



164 THE WIFE OF 

ing her forehead against the dusty pane of the closed 
window, whose broken shutter admitted little rays of 
light, which seemed mere suggestions of the cheerful 
world without in its holiday array. The Russian 
watched her a moment in silence, then followed her 
quietly. 

" Had you not better go home?" he suggested gently. 
' ' Believe me, it was a mistake to come here. You should 
have trusted me. I did not intend he should annoy you, 
except 

" Well?" she said as he paused uncertainly, " ex- 
cept?" 

' ' Except as a last resort, ' ' he returned slowly. ' ' You 
understand ? ' ' 

She did not reply, and the old man behind them bent 
sharply forward, almost losing his balance in his anxiety 
to hear the whispered words. 

' ' It is not easy to outwit me, ' ' continued Count Vald- 
mir after a moment 's silence, ' ' nor is it safe to defy me. 
I set a price upon your happiness, and it remains with 
you to pay. Is it worth the price ? ' ' 

Mrs. Redmond slowly turned and faced the two men. 
The shadows beneath her eyes showed dark and distinct, 
in marked contrast to the pallor of her cheeks, which 
seemed to have suddenly lost their rounded contour and 
become chalk-like and hollow. Ignoring the Russian at 
her side, she addressed Colonel St. John, who involun- 
tarily bent his gaze upon the floor and shuffled his feet 
uneasily, after the manner of one who would fain escape 
an ordeal. 

' ' I came here this morning, ' ' she said, ' ' intending to 
bribe you to leave the country, but when I saw you I 
remembered you were my father and, after all, the tie 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 165 

of blood is strong. I appealed to you for my mother's 
sake, for I always cherished the thought you must once 
have loved her. I see, however, I was wrong. ' ' 

" Oh," she continued, her voice breaking uncontrol- 
lably, " isn't it enough to have ruined your own life? 
Is it necessary " 

" Hush," interrupted Count Valdmir imperatively. 

He stepped softly into the hall and listened intently. 
Returning after a moment's breathless silence, he care- 
fully closed the door and attempted to turn the key. 

' It won't lock," said the old man tremulously, " it 
won't lock." 

" Be silent," commanded Count Valdmir in a sharp 
whisper. 

The sound of footsteps was distinctly audible upon the 
bare boards of the floor below wandering footsteps 
apparently, with no especial destination in view, for 
they ceased entirely now and then as though undecided 
whether to retreat or advance, and finally could be heard 
descending the stairs with many pauses and an evident 
inclination to return to the upper regions. 

Count Valdmir nodded towards a partly open door 
at his left. 

' Does that room communicate with the hall?" he 
inquired abruptly. 

Colonel St. John shook his head. 

" Its only outlet is through here," he replied. 

The footsteps ceased for a moment, then recom- 
menced, this time again in the ascendant. 

" Quick!" said the Russian, touching Mrs. Redmond 
on the shoulder and pointing to the inner room. As she 
hesitated a moment, looking distrustfully at the faces of 
the two men, he leaned forward and whispered a single 



166 THE WIFE OF 

word. Mrs. Redmond lingered no longer. With an 
apprehensive glance towards the hall she hastened into 
the bare little inner room and heard the click of the 
latch as the door closed after her. 

With a quick revulsion of feeling she put out her hand 
to again open the door, but discovered only the blank 
surface presented by the inside of an ordinary closet 
door. There was no knob, and the latch was on the 
other side. 

Colonel St. John smiled as he heard the snap of the 
latch. In obedience to a gesture of his companion, how- 
ever, he made no remark, but turned a strained atten- 
tion to the footsteps, which drew nearer, passed the door, 
paused on the upper landing, repassed, and again de- 
scended the stairs, briskly now, as one having a definite 
purpose in view. 

As the sound became gradually fainter Count Vald- 
mir cautiously reconnoitred. Returning after an ab- 
sence of some minutes, he beckoned the old man to 
follow him, and together they descended the stairs until 
they reached the large window on the first landing. 

' ' Look, ' ' he said, indicating the garden below. 

And Colonel St. John looked. He saw an expanse 
of snow, white and unbroken, save where someone had 
recently passed from the gap in the wall to the old back 
door. He saw also a man walking towards the wall, 
moving slowly with bent head, as though deep in 
thought. 

" Lyndhurst," said the Russian briefly. 

The old man made an inarticulate sound, somewhere 
between a gasp and a snarl, and shrank back against 
the baluster. 

" Do you realize what he is doing?" 



Colonel St. John shook his head, speech having for 
the time deserted him. 

" He is following your daughter's footprints in the 
snow. ' ' 

" Devil take the women," muttered Colonel St. John, 
suddenly recovering the use of his tongue, ' ' they always 
make complications." 

He wiped his moist brow with his handkerchief and 
vainly endeavored to control the shaking of his hand, 
while his companion watched him coolly, a faint smile 
curving his lips and a contemptuous expression in his 
half-closed eyes. 

"America is getting hot, eh, Colonel?" he remarked 
quietly; " it behooves you to finish my work and 
vanish. ' ' 

' Well," he resumed, after waiting in vain for a 
reply, " there is not much more to do. The crisis, 
Colonel, is approaching. Do you go on duty as watch- 
man to-day? Good. The Secretary has in his posses- 
sion the synopsis of the President's policy in regard to 
the Roostchook matter. I desire the paper in my pos- 
session within the next few days. It is in his private 
desk and no doubt locked, but those are simple obstacles 
to an expert like yourself." 

" Suppose," said the old man slowly, " suppose, 
Count, I cannot find it. What then?" 

' Why dwell on unpleasant subjects, Colonel? The 
details would be painful. 

" One thing more," he continued, and Colonel St. 
John gazed fixedly at the double row of large and small 
footprints in the snow with the manner of one who 
expects to take to his heels at any moment. As Count 
Valdmir paused impressively, however, he turned his 



168 THE WIFE OF 

head and with an obvious effort recalled his wandering 
attention. 

" Yes?" he said anxiously. 

The Russian came closer and laid his hand on the old 
man's shoulder, his fingers fastening with a grip as of 
steel. 

" You are not to annoy Tier," he said, " I will not 
have it. No extorting money, no blackmail 

" Count Valdmir perhaps prefers to keep such privi- 
leges for himself," returned the other with a sneer. 

The fingers on his shoulder tightened until he winced 
involuntarily. 

' ' Sometimes, ' ' said Count Valdmir through his teeth, 
' ' I wonder I can soil my hands with a tool like you. ' ' 

The usual dull apathy of Colonel St. John's eyes was 
replaced by a gleam of hatred, but he made no reply and 
his companion curtly continued: 

" You will do my work, and when I am through with 
you leave the country. You will not attempt to see her 
again or to communicate with her. It is wise to accede 
to my terms, Colonel; Lyndhurst and the police are 
ever ready, and I should have no scruples on your 
behalf. You shall not annoy her do you understand?" 

Colonel St. John shook himself free of the restraining 
hand. 

"If I'm not to see her again," he said sullenly, 
" who is to let her out of that room?" 



Estelle Redmond, alone in the little room, heard the 
two men go downstairs and fully realized her position. 
Sinking upon the floor, she rested her head upon the 
dusty window-ledge and tried to think. Was it all 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 169 

coming to an end? Was this to be the outcome of the 
marriage which had opened to her a new life, made 
beautiful by the sheltering care of a great and unselfish 
love? Must her past life be laid bare before her hus- 
band's eyes? Must he know of a child who had had no 
childhood? Of a girl taught to value the beauty with 
which she was endowed because of the power that ac- 
companied it a girl without a girlhood a girl familiar 
with the seamy side of life? 

Must he know of her father's vocation? Of hasty 
flights from city to city when the police became trouble- 
some? Was it necessary he should hear the story of 
Berlin? Of Bertie Hertford with his ingenuous boyish 
face and frank confidence in mankind in general? 
Bertie Hertford, who lost his all over the green baize 
card tables in her father's salon and who, under the in- 
fluence of the moon and her own blue eyes, confided the 
state secret of his mission to Berlin, which she in turn 
retailed to her father, who sold it to the Russian Gov- 
ernment for much gold? 

Estelle St. John at eighteen had not understood why 
she was delegated to extract this information and had 
exulted in her ability to obtain it. Estelle Redmond 
at twenty-eight understood fully, and felt to the utmost 
the unavailing bitterness of regret. 

The tragic death of Hertford, with the note addressed 
to herself, had been a terrible awakening. She had 
carried it to her father with blanched cheeks and tear- 
dimmed, wondering eyes. W T hat did it mean? And 
Colonel St. John had laughed and shrugged his 
shoulders. 

" My dear," he had said indifferently, " all young 
men are fools. Your eyes and complexion, and, above 



170 THE WIFE OF 

all, your ingenuous manner, constitute my best stock in 
trade." 

Estelle remembered it all with sickening distinctness 
as she pressed her white forehead against the dusty 
window-sill : 

The headlines in the papers, the slow awakening to 
the meaning of her life, the arrival of Lyndhurst in 
Berlin with his declared intention of investigation and 
punishment, and their own hasty departure at night for 
Paris. 

She remembered her life in Paris, deserted by her 
father, almost penniless and quite desperate. The two 
years of painful effort to live by honest labor, and then 
the chance meeting with her husband, and his generous 
answer to her reluctant offer to tell him her history. 

"If it hurts you to tell me, sweetheart, don't do it. 
Forget everything. Nothing matters but dishonor, and 
you could not look at me with those true blue eyes ir 
all was not well. Let us be happy in each other. ' ' 

" Nothing matters but dishonor." The words rang in 
her ears. 

Must she lose everything rather than make one bold 
stroke for happiness? Must she cause misery to him as 
well as herself from weakness at a crucial moment? 

The latch of the door moved and she sprang quickly 
to her feet. 

"It is safe for you to go, Madame," said Count 
Valdmir, standing aside that she might pass out. * ' Your 
father will not cause you further trouble; it will not 
be necessary for you to consider him at all." 

" Thank you," she said quietly, " you are very good, 
Count." 

He stooped to recover her veil, which had fallen to the 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 171 

floor, and held the hand extended to receive it somewhat 
longer than necessary. 

" It is your happiness I have at heart," he whispered 
softly, " your happiness and mine, Estelle. 

" Were you afraid," he continued breathlessly, 
" afraid, shut in that empty room alone?" 

Mrs. Redmond slowly withdrew her hand. 

' ' I was not afraid, ' ' she said with a sudden lowering 
of her black lashes, " because I knew you would not 
forget me." 

She moved towards the door, but paused on the 
threshold and looked back. 

" This house is strangely lonely," she remarked with 
a shiver, " will you not see me safely to the street, 
Count Valdmir?" 



172 THE WIFE OF 



XVII 



" HAVE you noticed," inquired Mrs. Colson genially, 
addressing her household assembled at the evening re- 
past, the day after Christmas, " how changed Mr. 
Leigh is? Scarcely a word to say for himself and out 
till all hours of the night or morning, rather. No 
wonder he looks thin and worn. I think you'll find 
that currant jelly good, Miss Jackson, I put it up 
myself. ' ' 

' ' You know I prefer mint sauce with roast lamb, Mrs. 
Colson," returned Miss Jackson, mildly reproachful, 
repudiating the jelly; " as to Mr. Leigh, well, since you 
mention it, I will admit that he is changed, and not for 
the better." 

" Late hours," suggested an old gentleman with a 
fierce gray mustache, " late hours and hard work per- 
haps. Burning the candle at both ends, like all young 
fellows." 

" Young men will be young men, General," returned 
the "White House Baby with a wan smile. ' ' Would you 
kindly pass the Chili sauce ? Thank you so much. ' ' 

' He used to be so merry," continued Mrs. Colson, 
shaking her head regretfully; " always a cheerful word 
or a joke even for the servants, and I have often heard 
him whistling and singing in his room while he was 
dressing, and now ' 

"And now," said the White House Baby acidly, 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 173 

" when he comes home he walks to and fro over my 
head until I get so nervous I can 't sleep. I really think, 
Mrs. Colson, you might speak to him about it. I must 
have my rest, you know." 

" It's love," said the old gentleman, gallantly filling 
Miss Jackson's glass, " that is what's the matter with 
him. A pair of bright eyes, ladies, plays the devil with 
a man, young or old. ' ' 

" Oh General!" exclaimed the ladies in coquettish 
chorus. 

" Mr. Marks also," remarked Miss Jackson thought- 
fully, " is not the man he once was." 

" No," agreed Mrs. Colson regretfully, " that is true, 
Miss Jackson. He keeps very late hours too. And he 
used to be so well, so circumspect, you know." 

The old gentleman burst into a shout of gruff laughter. 

" My dear Madam," he said, " you have employed 
the right word. Whatever that young man may do, I'll 
wager he does it in a circumspect manner." 

" Oh General," again chorussed the ladies in faint 
expostulation. 

" Do you see Mrs. Colson 's new white silk waist?" 
whispered the White House Baby to Miss Jackson under 
cover of a sudden buzz of conversation; " that is the 
second this winter. And it is trimmed with Persian 
bands. Did you ever hear of such extravagance ? ' ' 

" I'll wager her shoes don't keep out the wet," re- 
turned Miss Jackson in the same tone, adding aloud, 
' ' we were just admiring your bodice, Mrs. Colson. How 
very becoming it is." 

And meanwhile up in his room David Leigh sat before 
his writing-desk and gazed at a miscellaneous collection 
of what appeared to be odds and ends destined for the 



174 THE WIFE OF 

scrap-basket. The fact that dinner was in progress 
below disturbed his serenity not at all, for he had no 
intention of presenting himself at the festive board. 
There were times when the society of his fellow-boarders 
did not appeal to his sense of duty. Upon the floor 
beside him was a copy of the evening paper open at the 
society column ; it had laid there for the past hour and 
the page was creased and wrinkled as if crushed by an 
impatient hand. Now and then he lifted an article from 
the little heap before him and held it judicially, as 
though weighing its value. 

" I will keep one thing," he said, aloud, " one. 
Which shall it be?" 

He carefully put aside several little scented notes; a 
handkerchief with its dainty embroidered monogram; 
two or three faded flowers and a long white glove. It 
was not a very large collection, but a choice seemed 
difficult. 

He smoothed out the handkerchief with a lingering 
touch, then folded it carefully, placed it in the drawer 
of the desk, and took up the glove. There is something 
wonderfully human about an empty glove which has 
shaped itself to a hand; it retains the personality of its 
owner in a manner possible to few inanimate objects; 
it also seems to appeal mutely for the absent, and to 
continually beckon wandering memory back into the 
sunshine or shadow of the past. David Leigh held the 
white glove until his fingers instinctively closed over it, 
as though the soft suede covered a still softer hand of 
flesh and blood. 

" I will keep this," he said, rousing himself abruptly 
and gathering together the notes and bits of brown 
flowers. There were very few, to be sure, but they made 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 175 

quite a little pile as he laid them away in a drawer of 
the desk. 

" David, my boy," he continued meditatively, " you 
have been a fool yes, a fool. Are you a child that you 
should cry for the moon? Go to work; there's plenty 
to do. Brace up now and write your note; take your 
medicine like a little man." 

The result of this exhortation was the following 
epistle, written with great care upon his best stationery, 
after many sheets had been begun and flung impatiently 
aside : 

" MY DEAR Miss BYBD : I have just been reading the Star and 
hasten to offer my hearty congratulations and very best wishes. 
What a lucky man Mr. Rivers is, to be sure! I wonder how 
many fellows in Washington are envying him to-night. Shall 
1 see you at Mrs. Redmond's dinner on Tuesday? I want to 
present my congratulations in person and, incidentally, to return 
the handkerchief you lost at the Stones' cotillion and which I 
was fortunate enough to find. 

" Wishing you every possible happiness, believe me 
" Sincerely yours, 

" DAVID GBAIIAM LEIGH." 

David looked at his signature with some admiration 
as he laid aside the blotter. It was only on state occa- 
sions that he wrote it out in full and brought the end 
of the last letter around beneath the whole name in an 
imposing flourish. He addressed an envelope and 
stamped it with the careful attention to detail which 
had marked the transcribing of the note, scrupulously 
wiping his pen and returning it to its appointed place. 

" Here endeth the first lesson," he remarked as he 
took up his overcoat and opened the door. 

" There he goes," remarked Miss Jackson as the front 



176 THE WIFE OF 

door slammed. ' ' Doesn 't he even tell you when he dines 
out, Mrs. Colson?" 

Mrs. Colson smiled a patient and a long-suffering 
smile. 

" My dear Miss Jackson," she returned with the air 
of a martyr, "I'm accustomed to being slighted and 
neglected. What does a little more or less matter ? ' ' 

" But a certain amount of courtesy is due every lady 
from a man," remarked the White House Baby, with 
the manner of including even an inferior in her large- 
mindedness on such subjects. 

" My dear Mrs. Bowen," replied Mrs. Colson, deli- 
cately crooking her little finger as she helped herself to 
potatoes, " I have long been a stranger to the preroga- 
tives of a lady; and yet I remember the time when I 
scarcely knew how to sew on a button or tie my own 
shoe." 

David, meanwhile, unconscious of his deterioration, 
posted his letter and walked on, ignoring the fact that 
he had not dined and had lunched very lightly. When 
a man is oblivious to the claims of the central portion 
of his anatomy it is a tolerably sure sign he has received 
a hard hit from some source, and is as yet stunned from 
the blow. 

And, in fact, when David, in looking over the evening 
paper, had glanced casually at the social news, and read 
the bald fact that Senator Byrd announced the engage- 
ment of his daughter Isabel to the Hon. Charles Rivers, 
Member of Congress from Virginia, he felt very much 
as he had done as a boy when the ball he expected to 
catch hit him on the nose. 

He had quite lately begun to analyze his sentiments 
towards that young lady and had come to a very definite 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 177 

conclusion regarding her. There had been unexpected 
meetings with strictly informal chats, jolly little suppers 
at Senator Byrd's after the theatre, an occasional walk 
and talk in the winter's twilight; and also there was 
something else: a rainy Sunday afternoon when there 
were no other callers, a chance word, a quick flush over- 
spreading a flower-like face, a sudden lowering of dark 
lashes, then the inevitable interruption, and he had 
taken his leave with throbbing pulses and buoyant step, 
for he thought she understood. And now the paragraph 
in the Evening Star. He repeated it to himself, word 
for word, as he turned into Pennsylvania Avenue, with 
its glare of light and noise of passing cars, whose wheels 
took up and repeated the refrain, " the engagement of 
his daughter Isabel his daughter Isabel his daugh- 
ter 

Our first castles in the air are very lofty and imposing 
structures; they spring up suddenly, complete and 
beautiful, with no faulty architecture nor blemishes in 
material to mar the pleasure of their contemplation; 
they also seem easy of access and entirely possible of 
achievement. As a rule, they fade slowly, being in time 
replaced by smaller but more substantial edifices; they 
disappear quietly, growing daily less distinct, even as 
the towering roofs and steeples of a large city are finally 
merged into the horizon when viewed from an outgoing 
steamer; and this effacement is so gradual we scarcely 
realize they have vanished forever. 

Sometimes, however, these castles are incontinently 
demolished while yet newly built and fondly cherished; 
they fall about our heads with a crashing of walls and 
rattling of stones deafening and benumbing in effect; 
and they leave no foundations on which they may be re- 

12 



178 THE WIFE OF 

constructed. Generally when this happens we are at 
first stunned and inclined to believe ourselves crushed 
and hopelessly crippled by the fall. After awhile, how- 
ever, we push aside the debris and look about; we find, 
to our surprise, that the sun still shines and the earth 
revolves as usual; and then, all at once, we realize we 
must be up and doing again, for we must work if we 
would live, and there are still things in life to interest 
us after all. 

David, as he walked briskly down the street, was con- 
scious of a decided sensation of resentment and a desire 
to be alone. He felt at odds with the world generally, 
and a fleeting glimpse of Mr. Rivers rolling rapidly 
along in a hansom, snug and comfortable, was scarcely 
soothing under the circumstances. He had intended 
dropping in at one of the theatres and afterwards join- 
ing a party of young men at the Alibi Club, but he 
decided to go instead to the Department and work off 
some arrears of correspondence. It is odd how para- 
mount duty can become when one is disinclined for 
pleasure. 

" Working overtime?" inquired the watchman with 
a nod of recognition as David paused to get the key of 
his office. 

" You'll have to walk up," he continued garrulously, 
selecting the key from the rack beside him, " the ele- 
vators don't run at night." 

The great building, which during the day was a veri- 
table hive of industry, teeming with humanity and 
humming with many voices, mingled with the ceaseless 
click of the typewriter, was quiet and deserted enough 
at night. The long corridors, dimly illuminated by an 
occasional electric light at regular intervals, looked 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 179 

ghostly and unreal as they stretched away into space, 
and his footsteps upon the marble floor reverberated 
with a hollow, metallic ring he had not noticed during 
the day. 

David unlocked the door of the Secretary's office and 
passed through it into the little room adjoining, where 
his own desk was situated. The pile of unanswered 
letters he had left a few hours previously confronted 
him as he turned on the electric light. He looked them 
over reflectively, and, seizing a pad and pencil, scrawled 
answers to three or four, and pushed them aside to be 
copied in the morning. Then he paused deliberately 
and glanced into the next room with its deserted desk 
and vacant chairs. 

The personality of the Secretary clung to this room, 
even during his absence. The neat rows of papers wait- 
ing decision, carefully placed in their proper order of 
importance, seemed to lie in more decorous piles than 
most correspondence, as though in deference to the hand 
which laid them there, and the swivel-chair with its cov- 
ering of brown leather had a quiet dignity of its own, 
acquired perhaps from daily contact with its occupant. 
David stood on the threshold and looked at the bookcase, 
with its simply bound volumes of laws and regulations ; 
at the map of the world on the wall beside it, with the 
different countries defined by irregular lines of various 
colors; and at the desk in the centre, with its vacant 
chair and closed drawers. He had drawn a bunch of 
keys from his pocket and fingered them doubtfully, 
absently selecting one and holding it uncertainly in his 
hand. He stood thus for some minutes, then moved 
impatiently. 

" Why not now as well as any time?" he said aloud, 



180 THE WIFE OF 

and, extinguishing his light, passed into the Secretary's 
private office and shut the door. 

Outside the door the clock ticked steadily, its black 
hands travelling slowly around its white face and its 
pendulum moving monotonously back and forth with 
the dignified and precise regularity becoming a time- 
piece in the Department of State. 

And after the larger hand had several times per- 
formed its circuit the door opened and the private secre- 
tary stepped out. He walked down the corridor with 
lagging step and drooping figure, as though exhausted 
mentally and physically, and in his hand he carried a 
long, sealed envelope. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 181 



XVIII 



A NOTICEABLE languor pervaded the Department of 
State. Visitors were few and unimportant; clerks 
yawned and leisurely dispatched the routine work; 
messengers nodded in their chairs with even more than 
their usual abandon ; and, indeed, over the entire south 
wing of the great stone building hovered a mantle of 
inertia. 

The Secretary was at Cabinet meeting. A telephone 
message had come from the White House that he wished 
to speak with his private secretary, and the Chief Clerk 
had replied that Mr. Leigh had not reached the De- 
partment. 

The winter sun shone brightly into the Secretary's 
office and into the little room adjoining, with the swivel- 
chair pushed back as though hastily vacated and a 
pencil lying upon the blotter as if idle for a moment, 
to be sure, but ready to be up and doing at any instant. 

Again the telephone rang and again the Chief Clerk 
repeated his statement that Mr. Leigh had not yet 
arrived. 

So the morning dragged slowly on until the return 
of the Secretary created some little diversion, for the 
messengers rose as he passed and in so doing almost 
awoke. 

Mr. Redmond was accompanied by Senator Byrd and 
Mr. Rivers. They went at once to his private office, and 



182 THE WIFE OF 

almost immediately the imperative sound of a bell dis- 
turbed the serenity of the surrounding atmosphere. 

"Go at once," said the Secretary to the messenger 
who responded, " to Mr. Leigh's rooms. Say that I 
wish to see him on important business. If he is indis- 
posed, I will not detain him long, but the matter is 
urgent. Make haste!" 

The man withdrew, and Mr. Redmond turned to his 
companions. He stood before his desk ; the upper right- 
hand drawer was open and its contents spread upon the 
blotter. 

1 ' It is gone, ' ' he said blankly, ' ' gone. ' ' 

The little key in the open drawer twinkled and glit- 
tered in the sunlight as brightly as it had glistened once 
before when the drawer was shut and locked. 

"Ask me," it said, " ask me." 

But nobody noticed it at all, and after a while even 
the sun went under a cloud and forgot all about it. 

" I put it in here," said Mr. Redmond slowly, " with 
my own hands. You saw me, Byrd. " 

Senator Byrd nodded. 

" I don't think I entirely understand," remarked Mr. 
Rivers, who had met the other two at the entrance to 
the elevator. ' ' What is lost ? ' ' 

" The President," said the Secretary quietly, " gave 
me a synopsis of his policy in regard to the Roostchook 
trouble just before he went South. I did not agree 
with him and delayed action until he returned. Mean- 
while, I temporized, hoping the lost papers might be 
found. 

" I brought the paper the President gave me over 
here," he resumed after a moment's silence, " and 
talked the matter over with Senator Byrd. No one else 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 183 

knew of the existence of such a document and I wished 
to keep it secret. 

" To-day I again discussed the question with the 
President and he agreed reluctantly to modify his policy 
in some essential features. He wishes the paper re- 
turned to him for revision. It is not here." 

Mr. Rivers and Senator Byrd exchanged a quick 
glance, and the latter approached the Secretary and laid 
his hand on his shoulder, remarking quietly that doubt- 
less it was only mislaid and would in time appear. 

Mr. Redmond turned suddenly and faced his com- 
panions. He was evidently deeply excited and breathed 
heavily as he shook off the consoling hand impatiently. 

' ' My God, man, ' ' he said almost angrily, ' ' don 't you 
understand that there is a spy in the Department ? ' ' 

Mr. Rivers thrust his hands in his pockets and walked 
to the window looking out over the Potomac with 
thoughtful eyes and lips puckered slightly, as though 
about to whistle. The Member of Congress was 
thinking. 

Senator Byrd absently collected the scattered papers 
and replaced them in the drawer. His face was very 
grave, and he glanced from time to time at the little 
inner room with apparent anxiety. Mr. Rivers, turning 
slightly, followed the direction of his glance and walked 
at once to the door. 

' Who occupies this room ? " he inquired suddenly. 

" My private secretary, Mr. Leigh," replied Mr. Red- 
mond mechanically. 

Again the Senator and Member of Congress exchanged 
a glance as the Secretary sank into his chair and uncon- 
sciously tapped the arm with his fingers. 

" Byrd," he said thoughtfully, " I wonder " 



184 THE WIFE OF 

He checked himself abruptly and touched his bell. 

' ' I wish to see Harris, ' ' he said when it was answered. 

And the man replied that Harris had been sent for 
Mr. Leigh and had not yet returned. 

" I have every confidence in Mr. Leigh," said the 
Secretary, addressing Mr. Rivers almost belligerently. 
" every confidence." 

" Yes," replied the Member of Congress smoothly, 
" of course." 

He returned to the window and resumed his contem- 
plation of the landscape, while his companions watched 
the door with no effort to conceal their impatience, and 
the silence remained unbroken save for the voices and 
footsteps of visitors passing through the corridor 
without. 

Upon the wall hung the likeness of a former Secre- 
tary, now no longer burdened by affairs of state. He 
looked serenely down upon his successor and almost 
seemed to shrug his shoulders disdainfully, as though 
repudiating any connection with Departmental respon- 
sibilities. 

There was a slight stir in the corridor and Harris re- 
turned, breathless from rapid walking. 

" Well?" said the Secretary sharply, " well?" 

' ' Mr. Leigh was not at home, sir, ' ' replied the man. 

" Not at home?" 

" No, sir. He went out at dinner-time last night and 
did not return. They do not know where he is." 

Harris waited uncertainly, hat in hand. 

" Is there anything more, sir?" he inquired defer- 
entially. 

" Nothing more, Harris. You can go." 

The Secretary's face had grown old and gray and 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 185 

the hand which turned the shining key in the desk 
drawer shook slightly. 

" I lock the stable door, you see," he said grimly as 
the other men approached him, " after the horse is 
stolen." 

Mr. Rivers looked significantly at the little inner room 
with its unmistakable traces of recent occupancy. 

' ' The inference, ' ' he said, ' ' is obvious. ' ' 

" I have every confidence in Mr. Leigh," said the 
Secretary, turning involuntarily to Senator Byrd. 

But the Senator shook his head gravely. 

" I am afraid," he said slowly, " that your confi- 
dence was misplaced. Mr. Leigh knew of the existence 
of that paper; he also knew where it was. When we 
discussed the matter he was in that little room. You 
remember he came through the door and reminded you 
of its being Diplomatic Day, don't you?" 

' Yes," said Mr. Redmond unwillingly, " yes, I 
remember. ' ' 

' In short," remarked Mr. Rivers briskly, " the paper 
is gone and Leigh is missing. It only goes to prove the 
theory I have had all along." 

' You are wrong," said Mr. Redmond emphatically, 
" wrong. No man What is it, Harris? I do not 
wish to be disturbed. ' ' 

' I am sorry, sir," he replied, " but the private sec- 
retary of the President is waiting and says his business 
is important." 

' ' Very well, I will see him. ' ' 

Senator Byrd and Mr. Rivers started to retire, but 
the Secretary detained them with an imperative motion 
of his hand. 

" Well, Mr. Lane," he said, turning with his cus- 



186 THE WIFE OF 

ternary quiet self-possession to greet the young man who 
now entered, ' ' what can I do for you ? ' ' 

" The President wishes his synopsis on the Roost- 
chook matter, Mr. Secretary," replied Mr. Lane, de- 
clining the proffered chair, " he intends to take the 
subject up at once." 

Mr. Redmond touched his bell. 

" My coat and hat, Harris," he said quietly. "I will 
return with you to the White House, Mr. Lane. I wish 
to see the President." 

Senator Byrd accepted a cigar tendered him by the 
Member of Congress as the door closed on the Secretary 
and the smaller, more erect figure of the younger man. 

" It is a bad business," he remarked as he struck a 
match. 

" Yes," replied his companion indifferently, " it 
looks as though there might be the devil to pay before 
we get through with it." 

" I wonder," said the Senator, pausing at the door of 
the little room, " I wonder where he is?" 

"And I," returned the Member of Congress, 
" wonder who bought him." 

The swivel -chair looked as if it knew all about it but 
wouldn't tell for the world, and the pencil lay upon the 
blotter innocent enough to all appearance, yet the lead 
was worn blunt and had a weary air, as though it could 
a tale impart if it chose to do so. The Senator looked 
at his watch. 

" Past lunch time," he exclaimed, " and I promised 
to be at home to-day. Come with me, Rivers, and help 
me make my peace with Isabel." 

But the Member of Congress had another engagement, 
so the two men separated, while the sun again looked in 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 187 

on the empty office where the picture of the bygone and 
forgotten Secretary gazed loftily at the brown leather 
chair of his successor from his vantage ground of safety 
within the gilt frame. It almost seemed as though his 
lips moved and he whispered: 

" I had my troubles too, but they are not now impor- 
tant, even as I, myself, am no longer of any consequence. 
Dust to dust, ashes to ashes be they papers or flesh and 
blood, they crumble equally well." 



In the War Department, at the other end of the long 
corridor, Christine Gray adjusted her veil and asked for 
half a day's leave of absence. She ran down the large 
stone steps at the front of the building rather hurriedly, 
for she had a luncheon engagement and was already a 
little late. 

Christine pursued her way down F Street, her color 
a little higher than usual and her eyes shining with 
excitement. 

At the door of the Losekam she paused, and, after 
hesitating a minute or two, ran lightly up the stairs. A 
round table laid for two was waiting by the window and 
a man rose with an exclamation of pleasure and 
advanced to meet her. 

" You said two o'clock," she remarked as she seated 
herself and removed her gloves, " but I fear I'm a little 
late. I hope I have not kept you waiting, Mr. Rivers." 



188 THE WIFE OF 



XIX 



MR. RIVERS was just now a very busy man. He was 
not only Representative from the Fourteenth District 
of Virginia, he was also Miss Isabel Byrd's fiance, and 
the combination of two such functions was quite enough 
to occupy the days of the average man very comfortably. 

In addition, however, Mr. Rivers had various little 
matters of a private character which must receive his 
personal attention, and which he was very conscientious 
about not neglecting. Therefore he was obliged to 
arrange his engagements carefully in order that they 
might not conflict, and dovetail them into one another 
with neatness and dispatch. 

It was customary for him to drop in at a florist's en 
route to the Capitol each morning to procure flowers 
for his betrothed. He liked to select them himself, and 
therefore did not adopt the simpler plan of leaving a 
standing order. 

Isabel provided with roses or orchids, and a fresh 
white carnation selected for his own buttonhole, it was 
not unusual for Mr. Rivers to leave a second order and 
to write a few words on the card which accompanied it 
in his neat, ornamental backhand. Sometimes it was a 
quotation ; at others an original sentiment quite worthy 
the distinction of being quoted in its turn had the world 
but known of its existence. 

As he sat at the little round table in the Losekam, 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 189 

handsome, well groomed, and debonair, wearing to per- 
fection that air of deferential attention so gratifying to 
the genus femininum, the Member from Virginia was 
very pleasant to look upon. It was small wonder, there- 
fore, that the girl opposite paid more attention to her 
companion than her lunch, and breathed a little sigh of 
regret when the waiter brought coffee with its accom- 
panying air of finality. 

"And now," he remarked genially, " I have still a 
spare hour or so. What shall we do with it?" 

Christine stirred her coffee reflectively. She had a 
question to ask which she had heretofore resolutely kept 
in the background lest its answer should cast a shadow 
upon her holiday. She looked thoughtfully into the 
depths of her cup before speaking, while he noted the 
length of the dark, curled lashes fringing her white 
eyelids and the little frown which wrinkled her smooth 
brow. Resting his arms on the table, he leaned forward 
slightly. 

" What is it?" he said gently, " what troubles you?" 

"I'm not troubled," she returned, "I'm only 
curious. ' ' 

" Well?" 

Christine was laying the table-cloth in little folds and 
devoting her whole attention to the operation. 

" I read in the paper last night," she continued 
slowly, " that your engagement was announced to Miss 
Byrd, and I wondered if it could be true." 

It was delightful to hear the frank, hearty laugh 
with which the Hon. Charles Rivers greeted this remark, 
thus repudiating the allegation quite as convincingly 
as a flat denial, with perhaps a slighter sense of perjury. 

* ' How perfectly absurd ! " he said. 



190 THE WIFE OF 

Two little spirits leaped into the girl's brown eyes and 
lighted flaming torches there. 

" Then it isn't true?" she questioned persistently. 

Again the Member from Virginia laughed cheerfully. 

" My dear child," he said indulgently, " you don't 
understand newspapers. If I had been married as many 
times as I've been reported engaged, I'd be a Mormon 
indeed. The papers must have something to write about 
and we public men are the victims. ' ' 

" I only asked," she said a little breathlessly, 
" because I was interested. You know I'm engaged 
myself. ' ' 

Mr. Rivers knew this fact very well; he had learned 
it in the early stages of their acquaintance, and, indeed, 
had pulled a few underground wires at the War Depart- 
ment which had finally landed a certain young second 
lieutenant safely in Alaska, where he would be unable 
to resist any poaching upon his preserves. He felt, 
however, that it was time to change the subject and 
therefore looked at his watch. 

" Come," he remarked cheerfully, " time is passing. 
What shall we do?" 

" Well," returned Christine meditatively, putting on 
her gloves, "I'd like awfully to go through the Octagon 
House. You don't mind, do you?" 

He did not mind at all. On the contrary, the Octagon 
House appeared to him as a very satisfactory place in 
which to linger for a while longer with his present com- 
panion. Its location, with the probable accompanying 
freedom from interruption, appealed more strongly to 
his sense of the fitness of things than a walk through 
the more exclusive residence section or crowded shopping 
district. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 191 

So they went out into the winter sunshine, the girl 
chatting brightly, and the man responding to her mood 
in a manner subtly flattering by his evident pleasure 
in her society and genuine interest in her most casual 
remarks. 

" Let's go around back of the State Department," 
she suggested, and they walked slowly about the half 
circle south of the great white building, passing beneath 
the window from which Mr. Rivers had gazed a few 
hours previous while gravely discussing affairs of the 
nation. He looked up at it curiously, and Christine 
followed his glance with interest. 

" It's just a big, white prison," she said, " with peo- 
ple chained to desks, grinding their lives out." 

' They are paid, you know," remarked the member 
of the Finance Committee suggestively. 

" There isn't enough money in the Treasury," she 
retorted quickly, " to pay a human being for degen- 
erating into a machine, and I've noticed that it always 
happens to those who stay there long enough." 

' I said you wouldn't like it, you know," remarked 
Mr. Rivers as she paused abruptly. 

" Well, you were right I hate it. All the same," 
she added with a quick display of dimples, "I'm 
awfully grateful to you for putting me there." 

The Member of Congress laughed as he ran lightly 
up the steps of the Octagon House and pushed open the 
door. 

" Come in," he said gayly, " I want to do the 
honors. ' ' 

"It's cold," said Christine, " awfully cold. I don't 
think I want to see the house, after all." 

She followed her companion, nevertheless, as he passed 



192 THE WIFE OF 

from room to room, and at the foot of the stairs stopped 
suddenly. 

" Look," she exclaimed, " isn't this funny?" 

Mr. Rivers paused in the midst of his remarks upon 
the symmetry of the stairway and turned towards his 
companion. Christine held in her hand two bits of 
paper tied together by a twisted cord of red, white, and 
blue thread; one piece was blank, on the other a few 
words were distinctly legible. 

" The policy of this Government in regard to the 
Roostchook," she read aloud as Mr. Rivers held out his 
hand for the paper. 

The Member of Congress scrutinized each word care- 
fully and finally turned the paper around and examined 
a minute hieroglyphic in the corner. 

' ' What letters are these ? " he inquired quickly, taking 
the paper nearer the light. 

Christine followed curiously. She saw no reason that 
a scrap of State Department stationery should arouse 
an excitement tending to relegate her small self to the 
background, and therefore again took possession of her 
discovery with an injured air. 

" Well," she said indifferently, " the writing is very 
scratchy but the letters are plain enough D. L. 

" I wonder," she continued reflectively, " where I 
can have seen that long word Roostchook; it looks 
awfully familiar." 

The Member of Congress held out his hand for the 
paper, which he folded carefully and put in his card- 
case. 

" Let us go upstairs," he said quietly. " I have a 
fancy to explore the old house thoroughly." 

The Octagon House was empty indeed to-day, for 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 193 

Colonel St. John was on duty at the Department as 
watchman, and therefore unable to render any assist- 
ance as janitor or guide, and apparently no other 
visitors wished to go sightseeing that afternoon. Mr. 
Rivers was very thorough in his explorations. He 
went through the dusty old rooms slowly, opening 
closet doors and tapping the walls inquiringly, almost as 
though expecting a response. On the landing of the 
third floor he paused before a door upon which was 
fastened a neat white card bearing the inscription, 
"Janitor's Room. Not on Exhibition." A second 
card bore the brief but definite statement, " Out." 

Mr. Rivers perused the bits of pasteboard with inter- 
est, and even went so far as to unobtrusively turn the 
handle of the door, which very properly resisted such 
unwarranted intrusion. The janitor had that morning 
provided his apartment. with a new lock, which proved 
itself satisfactory on trial. 

The Member of Congress stroked his mustache re- 
flectively. 

' ' I think, ' ' he remarked after a long silence, ' ' I will 
go up into the attic. Will you come?" 

Christine shook her head and seated herself on an 
unsteady old chair outside the janitor's door. 

"I'm tired," she replied quietly, " and I don't think 
I like this house after all. I'll wait here, if you really 
want to go." 

" I won't be long," he returned, his hand on the 
door leading into the attic, and with a nod and smile 
he disappeared. 

Christine shivered as she leaned against the wall 
beside her. The exhilaration of the early afternoon had 
passed, leaving in its stead an odd sensation of oppres- 

13 



194 THE WIFE OF 

sion. She felt aggrieved that a dusty attic should offer 
attractions superior to those she had been led to believe 
she possessed in no limited degree, and much regretted 
the suggestion of a visit to the old house, whose sense 
of emptiness had impressed her most unpleasantly. On 
the whole, the afternoon since lunch had been disap- 
pointing. 

The short winter's day was waning and the hall beside 
her had become dusky and forbidding. She suddenly 
remembered strange stories she had heard of the Octa- 
gon House after nightfall and glanced apprehensively 
about. What could keep Mr. Kivers in the attic? Her 
head ached and she felt languid and miserable. 

Quite unconscious that she was merely feeling the 
effects of a natural reaction from the afternoon's pleas- 
ure, Christine pressed her forehead against the cold 
wall beside her and sighed impatiently. 

In a moment she had sprung, terrified, to her feet, for 
from the blank wall at her side came an echoing sigh, 
distinct and unmistakable, hopeless in its import, and 
giving the impression of bodily as well as mental suffer- 
ing. As Christine stood petrified upon the landing she 
was conscious of a low muttering, slowly dying away, 
only to commence again with increased vigor. And 
again the sigh melancholy, appealing, unendurable. 

With a shriek of terror the girl turned and fled, her 
hands clasped over her ears and her trembling limbs 
almost refusing to support her. Upon reaching the 
street she did not wait for her escort. Leaving him to 
meet unprotected whatever fate might await him, she 
sought the shelter of her boarding-house as speedily as 
possible. As she reached the front steps she paused 
suddenly. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 195 

" There," she remarked aloud, " I forgot all about 
Mr. Rivers." 

That gentleman, absorbed in picking his way care- 
fully among the empty tin cans, piles of rags, and other 
debris of the attic, was much alarmed by the girl's 
scream of fright and the sound of her retreating foot- 
steps. 

He started at once in anxious pursuit and listened 
to her story, which, told in the stiff boarding-house 
parlor, lost much of its reality, even to Christine herself. 

But late that evening the Member of Congress in the 
privacy of his own apartments carefully recalled each 
word of her narrative, and finally took from his card- 
case the two bits of paper and gave them his close 
attention. 

" I wonder," he remarked, returning the papers to 
the seclusion of the card-case, " whether it was imagina- 
tion or Anyway, I '11 send roses to-morrow. ' ' 



196 THE WIFE OF 



XX 



WHERE was David Leigh? This was the question 
which agitated Mrs. Colson 's boarding-house from garret 
to cellar and caused endless comment and conjecture 
among the lesser lights of the Department of State. The 
higher officials said little for publication, but frequently 
conferred among themselves, apparently to no purpose. 
The private secretary was missing; that fact was self- 
evident, but beyond it was a silence as impenetrable as 
the silence of the grave itself. 

11 It's my belief," remarked Miss Jackson with the 
air of one who expects to create a sensation, " it's my 
belief, Mrs. Colson, that he committed suicide. He may 
have been crossed in love, you know." 

This theory, having been advanced every night at 
dinner since Leigh's disappearance, failed to make the 
impression which might otherwise have been expected. 

" Much more likely to owe money and be in hiding 
somewhere, ' ' said the old gentleman with the gray mus- 
tache gruffly. 

" Oh General!" expostulated the ladies in staccato 
chorus. 

" I feel for his mother," said Mrs. Colson, ignoring 
the fact that David was well known to have been an 
orphan for many years. 

"Ah, it is we poor women who always suffer in such 
cases," murmured the White House Baby, helping her- 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 197 

self liberally to mint sauce, " but, then, when do we 
not suffer?" 

" Well," said Miss Jackson thoughtfully, " I must 
say I would like to know what has become of him. ' ' 

And in quite another part of the city a girl repeated 
this remark as she stood before her mirror adding the 
finishing touches to her evening toilet. 

Isabel Byrd was, so her aunt affirmed, as cross as two 
sticks. Nothing suited her. It was stupid at home and 
Washington was populated with intolerable bores, not 
the least of whom was her distinguished affianced, who 
was to dine with them to-night en famille and escort 
her to Mrs. Redmond's box at the theatre. 

Isabel fastened her necklace with a vindictive snap, 
She hated sleek black hair and silky mustaches; she 
hated immaculate shirt fronts with little pearl studs; 
she hated box parties; she hated everything and most 
of all she hated David Leigh. 

"A sneak," she said hotly to her reflection in the 
mirror, " a dishonorable sneak, but I would like to know 
where he is." 

Down in the library Senator Byrd made substan- 
tially the same remark to his prospective son-in-law as 
they waited for dinner to be announced, and the Member 
of Congress acquiesced absently. 

" The Secret Service," affirmed the Senator con- 
temptuously, ' ' has made a fizzle of the case. I tell you, 
Rivers, it's a flat impossibility for a man to march off 
the face of the earth in this day and generation. The 
police force 

" Can sometimes be squared," interrupted Rivers 
quietly. 

" What do you mean?" 



198 THE WIFE OF 

" Merely that no official organization is without its 
vulnerable corner. Perfect-looking apples are some- 
times rotten at the core, you know." 

' ' To what apple are you alluding ? ' ' inquired Senator 
Byrd dryly. 

The younger man laughed and passed his hand 
caressingly over his mustache. 

" Confidentially speaking," he said slowly, " the 
President " 

Now the Hon. Charles Rivers was well known to be 
in close touch with the head of the nation. Indeed, it 
was rumored that in case of a vacancy occurring in the 
Cabinet his appointment thereto was a foregone con- 
clusion. It was also whispered that he was far from 
averse to accepting such an honor, regarding it as 
another step towards the Presidential chair, for Mr. 
Rivers was ambitious, and in America all things are 
possible, provided the right strings are pulled to bring 
them about. 

Senator Byrd knew this. He also knew the President. 

" I understand what you mean," he said thought- 
fully, " at least I think so, though he has never put 
it into words so far as I am aware. I hope he never 
may." 

"And I," said Rivers composedly, " hope to see the 
matter sifted to the bottom and justice administered 
unflinchingly. I have studied the subject from the dis- 
appearance of the first papers and have reluctantly 
arrived at my conclusion. I agree with the President." 

" You are wrong," said Senator Byrd positively, 
" wrong. I would stake my honor on it." 

" I believe," continued Rivers slowly, " Leigh ab- 
stracted the papers with the full knowledge of the 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 199 

Secretary, and that they are in collusion. I believe the 
Secretary, and he only, knows where to find David 
Leigh." 

" But the motive?" 

"Ah, that, I grant you, is a mystery yet to be un- 
ravelled. I am inclined to look for the woman in the 
case, ' cherchez la femme, ' you know. ' ' 

" Hush," interrupted the Senator hastily, " Isabel." 

But it was too late. It was, indeed, Isabel standing 
in the doorway, her red-gold hair and white frock 
brought out most effectively by the dark background. 
Mr. Rivers had never thought his fiancee half so charm- 
ing as when she advanced tempestuously and faced him 
with blazing cheeks and flashing eyes. 

" I heard you," she said, ignoring his outstretched 
hand, " I heard you!" 

Both men had risen upon her entrance and remained 
speechless. 

Senator Byrd glanced nervously about and breathed' 
a sigh of apprehension. His daughter was plainly a 
prey to the demon of temper which he had hoped was 
relegated to her stormy childhood and before which he 
had always stood powerless. Had she been a boy, he 
sometimes reflected, he would have known how to deal 
with her, but a girl was very different. So the Senator 
subjected the imaginary boy to severe discipline, while 
the flesh-and-blood girl grew apace. 

" Spoiled to death," her aunt lamented, but " mighty 
lovable," her father thought. 

Just now, however, he wished the boy existed as he 
advanced and laid a hesitating hand upon her arm. 

" Dinner is late," he remarked tentatively, with the 
laudable desire of diverting her attention. 



200 THE WIFE OF 

But Isabel shook off the hand impatiently and ad- 
dressed herself to her lover. 

" How dare you say such things?" she demanded, 
with an emphatic stamp of her white-shod foot, " how 
dare you?" 

" Isabel," interrupted her father anxiously, " my 
dear child." 

" It isn't so," continued the girl quickly. " Why, 
Mr. Kedmond is the best man in the whole world. How 
dare you criticise him? How dare you even think such 
things, much less say them? I know it isn't so." 

" How do you know?" inquired Rivers coolly; " hi 
fact, how do you know anything about it?" 

" I know it isn't so," she said simply, " because I 
know the Secretary." 

The Member of Congress laughed sarcastically. 

" Oh," he said, " is that it? I thought perhaps Leigh 
might have taken you into his confidence, you used to 
be uncommonly chummy, you know, and well, you 
seem to take a most extraordinary interest in the 
matter. ' ' 

The color left Isabel's cheeks suddenly and her atti- 
tude became tense and rigid. The watchful Senator 
knew the signs of the times, and thought regretfully of 
the explosion to follow. 

' ' Dinner is served, ' ' said the butler, appearing oppor- 
tunely. 

With a polite bow and an air of tolerant benignancy 
Mr. Rivers smiled at his betrothed and offered his 
arm. 

' ' Let us bury the hatchet, ' ' he said suavely, ' ' and go 
to dinner." 

But Isabel was already half way across the room. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 201 

" I hate you!" she exclaimed, pausing suddenly; 
"there! I 'm glad I 've said it. I hate you!" 

" Upon my word," he exclaimed as the library door 
slammed emphatically. 

' ' She doesn 't mean it, Rivers, ' ' said the Senator anx- 
iously; " I assure you she doesn't know what she's 
saying. ' ' 

The door opened again and a white hand and arm 
appeared in the aperture. 

" Take it back," said a muffled voice, " I never did 
want it very much," and a small object fell on the rug 
beside the Member of Congress as the door closed again 
and swiftly flying feet could be heard ascending the 
stairs. 

The Hon. Charles Rivers stooped and picked up the 
ring. 

" To-morrow," he remarked, watching the diamond 
flash, " I will put this on again. We will have a few 
tears and an affecting reconciliation. Don't apologize, 
Senator, I like a girl of spirit and I understand 
women. ' ' 

He put the ring in his pocket and walked thought- 
fully to the window and back. 

"All the same," he continued gravely, " I have got 
to prove to her that I am right, and you have got to 
make her be quiet. It's a pity she overheard. Can you 
keep her from talking to anybody mind you, I mean 
anybody whatever?" 

' Yes," said the harassed Senator, " yes, certainly. 
Let us go to dinner, Rivers ; I think Isabel will not 
appear. Perhaps you will kindly make her excuses to 
Mrs. Redmond at the theatre and say she is indisposed." 

Mr. Rivers cheerfully agreed to deliver the message 



202 THE WIFE OF 

and proceeded to enjoy his dinner with unalloyed appe- 
tite, while Isabel lay face downward upon her bed, her 
pretty gown crushed and forgotten, and her slight form 
shaken with a tempest of angry sobs. 

Senator Byrd, after the departure of his guest, sat 
before his library fire and consumed many meditative 
cigars. 

He felt relieved to have no imperative engagement 
demanding his presence and disinclined for any definite 
occupation. So the Senator smoked on, pondering over 
many things as the fragrant Havanas slowly disap- 
peared and the moments passed. 

He thought of the guest from whom he had just 
parted. 

"A bright fellow, by Jove! with a keen intellect. 
Undoubtedly the coming man. Isabel is uncommonly 
fortunate. ' ' 

He thought long and anxiously about the complica- 
tions in the State Department and their problematical 
outcome : of the Secretary, gentle, courteous, honorable, 
and of sound judgment; a man so popular in his party 
that he had more than once been suggested as a suc- 
cessor to the President; a man with few enemies and 
many friends, and apparently incapable of a dishonor- 
able thought; of David Leigh, and of the necessarily 
intimate and confidential relations of a private secre- 
tary to his chief. 

He thought of Isabel and of her mother, dead since 
her birth. Something had given way in the Senator's 
heart the day he followed his young wife to her grave, 
and the vacuum had never been quite filled. 

" It's a little girl, dearest," she had whispered, ." our 
little girl, and I want so awfully to live for her and 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 203 

for you.'' The Senator let his cigar go out, holding it 
listlessly in his hand as he lived again in the past. 

" You will make her happy, won't you?" the faint 
voice had continued. " I want her to be very happy, 
and Avhen she grows up she must marry the man she 
loves, as I did, dear as I did." 

Well, he had tried to make her happy Esther 's child, 
with Esther's eyes and voice. " If her mother had 
lived 

The log smouldered and fell apart, and Senator Byrd 
roused himself abruptly, put out the lights, and went 
upstairs. As he passed his daughter's door he paused 
and knocked softly. 

" Come in," called Isabel, " I've been waiting a long 
time," and he smiled a little as he turned on the light 
and closed the door. 

Isabel had gone to bed, and now sat upright among 
the pillows, her bright hair streaming down her back, 
and her arms stretched out towards her father. 

" I made an exhibition of myself," she exclaimed, 
pulling his cheek down to hers, " didn't I, daddy, as 
usual, and you were sorry." 

" Well," agreed the Senator, " I think you did, little 
girl. I was sorry." 

"I'm not," she said with a defiant toss of her head, 
" he deserved it, and I hope it made him uncom- 
fortable." 

The Senator thought of Mr. Rivers 's placid enjoy- 
ment of his dinner and made no reply. Isabel rested 
her head on his shoulder and sighed contentedly. 

" I'm glad you came in," she said slowly; " some- 
how I feel awfully lonely to-night." 

The Senator had felt lonely also down by the library 



204 THE WIFE OF 

fire, so he simply smoothed her hair caressingly and 
said nothing. 

" He's been gone almost a week," said the girl sud- 
denly. " What do you suppose has become of him?" 

" I don't know, dear." The Senator made no pre- 
tence at not understanding to whom she referred. 

" But what do you think?" 

" I think," he said gravely, " it looks very black for 
Leigh, Isabel." 

" But all the same," she said eagerly, " all the same, 
father, you don't believe what Mr. Rivers said, do you?" 

Senator Byrd thoughtfully twisted a lock of the 
shining hair about his finger. 

" No, dear," he said at last, " I don't believe it." 

" Oh father," she exclaimed with an emphatic 
squeeze, " you're such a sensible man." 

The Senator laughed and asked some questions as to 
her engagements for the next few days. She was going 
to be with Mrs. Redmond at the diplomatic breakfast 
on New Year's Day, she said, after that she did not 
know; she would like to go away Washington was so 
tiresome. The Senator suggested a trip abroad when 
Congress adjourned. 

" Unless," he remarked with some hesitation, " you 
will be thinking of getting married about that time. ' ' 

Isabel sat upright and wrinkled her white forehead 
portentously. 

" I might as well tell you, father," she said solemnly, 
" I have decided never to marry. You don't mind sup- 
porting me, do you?" 

The Senator did not mind at all; he thought, how- 
ever, she might sometime change her views on this point, 
but she shook her head positively. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 205 

" I hate men!" she said petulantly; " I hate them all, 
except you, and I won 't marry anybody. ' ' 

" You shall marry the man you love," said her father 
gently; " but, Isabel, I know you could only love an 
honorable man. Isn't that true?" 

Isabel sank back among her pillows and turned her 
face to the wall. 

"All the nice men are dishonorable," she sobbed, 
" and all the honorable men are nasty. I shall never, 
never marry." 

Senator Byrd felt strangely incompetent as he closed 
his daughter's door some time later and sought his own 
room. 

" She needs her mother," he thought regretfully. 
" Esther would have known just what to do, while I 
should only bungle. If she had only been a boy " 

And the Senator slowly unfastened his collar. 



206 THE WIFE OF 



XXI 



IT was New Year's Day and official Washington was 
astir early, for the Diplomatic Corps and officers of the 
Army and Navy must pay their respects to the Presi- 
dent, as well as test the contents of various hospitable 
punch-bowls later on, according to long-established cus- 
tom. So the city was gay with cocked hats and brass 
buttons, and the small boys upon the curbstones all 
determined upon a military career, composed of glory 
and gold lace. 

The Hon. Charles Rivers breakfasted at the Metro- 
politan Club, read the morning paper, and considered 
how best to dispose of the hours intervening before any 
social obligations claimed his attention. He was well 
known to be an economist in time, and liked to employ 
every minute profitably. 

He looked over his mail carefully, and was surprised 
not to see a penitent little note from his fiancee. He 
did indeed receive a missive, small, perfumed, and ap- 
parently interesting, for he read it twice before rele- 
gating it to the waste-basket, but it was not the one for 
which he waited. 

" Poor little thing," he reflected as he buttoned his 
overcoat, " it is a dull life for her. I'll drop in for a 
while this morning." 

As he bent his steps among the respectable thorough- 
fares frequented by the shabby genteel he reviewed the 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 207 

events of the preceding evening, and was astonished to 
find himself decidedly apprehensive lest he should not 
have an opportunity to return to its legitimate owner 
the ring now snugly ensconced in his waistcoat pocket, 
and as he ascended the steps of the most dingy house in 
the square he was conscious of a feeling of resentment 
against David Leigh nearly akin to jealousy, a sensa- 
tion to which the Member of Congress had hitherto 
believed himself immune. 

" What a pretty spitfire she looked," he remarked 
aloud as he pulled the bell and inquired for Miss Gray. 

Christine was in her third floor back, improving the 
opportunity offered her by a legal holiday to perform 
the mysterious rite dear to most women known as " fix- 
ing up the top drawer. ' ' A heterogeneous collection of 
treasures was heaped beside the bureau, and Christine 
herself sat upon the floor, surrounded by bits of ribbon, 
soiled gloves, faded flowers, and the various trifles accu- 
mulated by girls in all stations of life. She had paused 
in her researches, however, and was gazing with a 
puzzled expression at a long, sealed envelope just un- 
earthed from beneath a pile of handkerchiefs. 

" Where did I get it?" she remarked, turning it over 
curiously, " where in the world did I get it?" 

The one word indistinctly written in pencil afforded 
no clue, so, after hesitating a moment, she broke the seal 
and drew out the enclosure. 

" Department of State. Confidential," she read 
aloud, then paused suddenly and turned over the papers 
with a troubled face. Christine had been employed by 
the Government long enough to realize that a document 
so labelled had no legal right in her top bureau drawer. 

So she rested her chin in her hand and looked at the 



208 THE WIFE OF 

papers very much as she might have regarded an un- 
welcome black spider. 

" I know," she exclaimed suddenly, " I know. It 
was Mr. Marks the ossification papers and the white 
hyacinths. I remember all about it, but how did 
he " and again the chin went down into the hand. 

It was at this juncture Mr. Rivers was announced by 
the slipshod maid, who looked at her with an ill-con- 
cealed curiosity of which Christine was entirely uncon- 
scious. With an exclamation of relief she gathered the 
papers together, thrust the envelope into the bosom of 
her shirtwaist, and ran downstairs. 

The Member of Congress listened patiently to the 
confused account of the white hyacinths, tiresome young 
men, and official papers, into which she launched as 
soon as possible, ending with the lucid remark, 

"And when I heard you were here I was so delighted, 
for I knew you could tell me what to do with them. ' ' 

" Perhaps," he suggested at last, " if you would let 
me look at them, or at least tell me what they are about, 
I might be able to be of some assistance." 

' ' Why, ' ' she said, producing the long envelope, " it 's 
awfully funny, but do you remember the word on the 
scrap of paper we found in the Octagon House Roost- 
chook, I think, or something like that? Well, it's about 
that ; I mean the papers are about Roostchook whatever 
that is." 

" Let me see them," said Rivers quickly, his manner 
alert and interested. 

With growing astonishment he took them to the 
window, read them slowly, returned them to their enve- 
lope, and put it carefully in his pocket. 

" Now," he said quietly, " tell me about it all over 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 209 

again," and Christine repeated her story, adding anx- 
iously : 

"And what had I better do about it? I feel dread- 
fully worried. ' ' 

He laughed carelessly and seated himself on the sofa 
beside her. 

" Don't worry," he said, " it brings wrinkles. You 
need not give the subject another thought, but it is 
fortunate you happened to give the papers to me. Of 
course, I shall simply return them to the State Depart- 
ment and there the matter will end, but don't accept 
any more presents from this peculiar young man with- 
out looking at them. It would be interesting to know 
where he got them and why. ' ' 

" Well," replied Christine, dimpling suddenly, " you 
can ask him. I expect him here this morning." 

" By the way," he interrupted hastily, " don't men- 
tion the papers to him. I do not think it would be wise 
to agitate the subject, especially as he has apparently 
forgotten it." 

" But," objected Christine, " I want to ask him where 
he got them." 

" Much better let the whole thing drop and forget 
it. Now let us talk about something more interesting 
yourself, for instance. Have you recovered from your 
fright? I reproach myself for leaving you alone even 
for a few moments, but I am interested in old houses 
and wanted to explore. Would you trust yourself to 
me again?" 

" Yes," said the girl shyly, " anywhere. But," she 
added with a little shiver, " it was not imagination. I 
did hear that sigh, and it was heart-rending." 

" Sometime I am going there to listen for it, mean- 

14 



210 THE WIFE OF 

while I have brought you a little New Year's gift to 
help you forget an unpleasant experience." 

With shining eyes and trembling fingers Christine 
unwrapped the little box and raised the lid. 

" Oh!" she gasped, and relapsed into wondering 
silence. 

The Member of Congress lifted a string of pearls 
from which hung a little ruby heart. 

" I brought it to you myself," he whispered, leaning 
towards her, ' ' that I might put it on. May I ? 

" I thought the pearls were perfect," he continued 
as he fastened the clasp, " but now I see them on your 
neck they look less pure by contrast." 

It was at this interesting juncture Mr. Marks elected 
to appear, his hair more rampantly erect than usual, 
and an unfortunate tendency to talk through his nose 
aggravated by a cold in the head. He carried a large 
handkerchief with a red border which he was obliged to 
use frequently, and was sublimely unconscious of the 
lack of cordiality in his welcome. 

After an interested scrutiny of his rival for some 
minutes Rivers departed, donning his overcoat hi the 
contracted little hall with a strange mixture of sensa- 
tions. The Roostchook papers were safe in his pocket, 
and he was proved wrong in the theory he had advanced 
to Senator Byrd. It now only remained for him to 
restore them to their proper custodian and to put the 
Secret Service men in touch with Mr. Marks in order 
to recover the second lost paper. His course was per- 
fectly clear, and the whole unfortunate affair seemed 
to be gradually drawing to a close. 

Yet, as he walked slowly down the street, Mr. Rivers 
had not the bearing of a man pleased with the world in 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 211 

general. Rather, he was lost in the mazes of a brown 
study which did not appear to afford him much grati- 
fication. 

" Redmond forced to resign," he said reflectively to 
his inner self, " forced to resign and out of the way, 
it is all plain sailing and the White House one term 
nearer. ' ' 

The wind Hew sharply around the corner and took 
liberties with his hat, but he had a reason for turning 
down that particular street and did so after a brief 
battle with the interfering elements. It was Mr. Rivers 's 
custom to accomplish whatever object he had in view 
in spite of obstacles, so he mounted the steps of the 
Octagon House, breathless but triumphant. 

Apparently his previous visit had but whetted his 
curiosity, for once again he explored the old rooms care- 
fully, regardless of the dust which marked his immacu- 
late coat-sleeve with unsightly streaks. 

The lower floor was indisputably empty ; he therefore 
quietly ascended the curved stairway and explored the 
second and third floors. 

The caretaker's door was inhospitably shut, but as he 
lingered on the landing he heard a low, indistinguish- 
able murmur, and a soothing, decided voice in reply; 
he also heard a clinking as of a spoon against a glass 
and the unmistakable gurgle of water when poured 
from a jug. A chair was moved hastily, scraping noisily 
over the bare boards, and the doorknob turned quietly. 

Instinctively the Member of Congress stepped into 
the adjoining room and partly closed the door in such 
a manner that he could command a view of the stairs 
and remain himself unseen. He was conscious of a 
decided thrill of astonishment at the figure which pres- 



212 THE WIFE OF 

ently passed within his range of vision. Instead of the 
typical janitor, careworn and shabby, he saw an immac- 
ulate old gentleman with shining silk hat and carefully 
buttoned black frock-coat over pearl-gray trousers, and 
a carnation in his buttonhole. 

" Upon my word," remarked Mr. Rivers aloud as he 
heard the front door close, " it grows interesting." 

Advancing softly, he stood before the caretaker's 
room and gazed earnestly at the placard upon the door. 
As he stood there he heard a sigh from within, long, 
slow, and filled with weariness, such a sigh as Christine 
Gray had described so graphically when she told him 
the story of her fright. The Member of Congress did 
not disdain to put his ear close to the door and listen 
intently; he did not fear the supernatural, and the 
actual was, as he said, interesting. The sigh was re- 
peated, followed after a moment's silence by the low 
muttering he had previously heard. 

After a little hesitation he knocked softly and, getting 
no response, turned the knob quietly. 

The room looked bare and comfortless enough as he 
entered, with its few accessories for the convenience of 
its occupant. Moreover, it was quite empty. 

The uninvited guest looked curiously about and 
sniffed the air thoughtfully, for the odor of kerosene 
was apparent, although no lamp was visible. It seemed 
to him to come from an adjoining closet, and he was 
about to follow it when his glance fell upon the rickety 
table, upon which a piece of tracing-paper was carefully 
fastened with thumb-tacks. With an exclamation of 
astonishment he examined the incomplete drawing, in- 
tently following its details and now and then giving 
vent to an astonished whistle. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 213 

" Water!" said a voice suddenly, thick and inar- 
ticulate; " for God's sake, water!" 

Rivers straightened himself abruptly and felt a 
momentary regret that he was alone and unarmed. The 
sound undoubtedly came from behind the door he had 
supposed led into the closet, and whence now proceeded 
the low muttering he had heard from the landing, 
varied at intervals by a long sigh and the movement of 
a restless body, unmistakably human and evidently in 
pain. 

Wasting no time in speculation, he opened the door 
leading into the small inner room and paused upon the 
threshold to reconnoitre. He saw a kerosene-stove doing 
its odorous best to consume the surrounding oxygen, a 
broken chair on which were grouped a few bottles and 
glasses, and upon the floor in the corner a narrow 
mattress upon which tossed and muttered a figure. 

' ' Water ! " it cried imperatively. " I 'm burning up, 
I tell ,you water!" 

The Hon. Charles Rivers took a glass of water from 
the chair and advanced to the cot. Kneeling down upon 
the dusty boards, regardless of their effect upon his 
spotless trousers, he held the water to the hot, parched 
lips, and exhaustively studied the flushed face upon 
the pillow. 

Rising from his knees he replaced the glass upon the 
chair and went into the caretaker's room with the 
manner of one who walks in his sleep. Involuntarily 
he bent over the table and again examined the unfin- 
ished drawing. After a while his hand sought his pocket 
and he produced the white envelope so recently escaped 
from Christine's upper drawer. He weighed it care- 
fully, first in one hand, then in the other, advanced a 



214 THE WIFE OF 

few steps, hesitated, and advanced again, his fingers 
tightening about the envelope. 

" His daughter Isabel," murmured the figure on the 
floor, " announces the engagement of his daughter 
Isabel water ! I want water ! ' ' 

The Member of Congress again knelt beside the cot 
and put the glass to the fevered lips. He remained in 
this lowly position for some minutes, and when he rose 
held nothing in his hands except an empty glass. 

When he emerged from the Octagon House a little 
later he walked with the preoccupied air of one absorbed 
in thought, and was even guilty of not returning the 
salutations of passing acquaintances. Upon reaching 
the Club he sat down beside a little table and ordered 
a brandy and soda. 

"And let it be stiff," he admonished the waiter. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 215 



XXII 



COLONEL ST. JOHN, on leaving his residence, drew on 
a pair of fresh gloves and walked briskly up the street. 
He intended to do a little New Year's visiting and the 
prospect was exhilarating, for he was by nature gre- 
garious and had been for some time debarred from the 
pleasures of society. Therefore he walked quickly, with 
head erect and shoulders well back, as became a military 
man. 

Threading his way among the carriages and pedes- 
trians which blocked the street before the house of the 
Secretary of State, he hesitated a moment, then walked 
boldly up the broad stone steps in the wake of the 
German Ambassador. 

The Diplomatic Corps had called upon the President 
and its members were now assembled in full regalia to 
partake of the breakfast annually tendered them by the 
Secretary of State. 

" Madame," remarked Monsieur du Pre impressively, 
" may the New Year contain for you only happi- 
ness. ' ' 

And the little Frenchman, having exchanged the com- 
pliments of the season with his hostess, twisted up the 
ends of his mustache and passed on. 

" How tired she looks, la belle Madame," he re- 
marked to Lyndhurst, whom he encountered in the door- 
way; " the season has begun to weary her." 



216 THE WIFE OF 

The Englishman, after a moment's survey, acquiesced. 

" She looks ill," he said quietly, " but then she has 
been standing a long time at the White House. No 
doubt, as you say, she is tired." 

Monsieur du Pre turned to greet an acquaintance and 
Lyndhurst resumed his position in the doorway, enjoy- 
ing the brilliant spectacle, for the representatives of the 
various countries wore their native costumes and the 
spacious rooms glowed with the colors of the Orient and 
glittered with the gold lace and uniforms of many 
nations. 

The Chinese Minister conversed amicably with the 
Secretary, whose tall, spare figure in its black coat 
looked sombre indeed beside the robes celestial of his 
guest, and Lyndhurst smiled at the contrast. 

Suddenly he saw an ashen pallor overspread Mrs. 
Redmond's face, and she swayed as though about to 
fall. Recovering herself with a visible effort, she ex- 
tended her hand to the British Ambassador and returned 
his salutation. 

Following the direction of her eyes, the young At- 
tache saw nothing alarming merely the dignified back 
of an old gentleman in severely correct morning costume 
about to pass into the adjoining room. Lyndhurst recol- 
lected that Miss Byrd was also there and prepared to 
follow him. As he turned to do so he saw Count Vald- 
mir enter and greet Mrs. Redmond; he also saw her 
whisper a few hurried words, to which the Russian 
apparently made a soothing reply and immediately 
sought the dining-room. 

Lyndhurst wondered greatly. He had found much 
food for reflection since his sojourn in America, and 
the longer he thought the more puzzled he became, so 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 217 

he merely followed the example of the old gentleman 
and went into the dining-room. 

Colonel St. John had yielded to a sudden impulse in 
presenting himself at his daughter's house. He knew 
he would have no difficulty in gaining admittance, as 
he had among his relics of past prosperity garments 
suitable for the occasion. He trusted to the severely 
aristocratic bearing he could assume when necessary to 
conceal the fact that though said garments were of irre- 
proachable fit and quality, they were somewhat out of 
date as to style, and handed his overcoat to the servant 
so haughtily that the man forebore to notice its cut and 
deposited it among its fellows with marked respect. 

He had no definite object in view, and was well aware 
of the risk he ran in thus exposing himself to public 
gaze. Colonel St. John, however, had nursed a wounded 
spirit ever since his daughter had visited him, and was 
sullenly determined to extort money from her in spite 
of the injunctions to the contrary he had received from 
Count Valdmir. Also, he wished to prove to the latter 
that he possessed some independence of spirit. In fact, 
he had grown restive under his chains and thought he 
saw his opportunity of escape through his daughter, or 
his daughter's husband. Consequently, like certain 
species of wild animals, Colonel St. John cringed before 
his master while entirely in his power, but snarled and 
showed his teeth when escape seemed not impossible. 
As to Lyndhurst well, he trusted to the crowded rooms 
to avoid him. Moreover, a contingency had recently 
arisen making it most desirable for him to leave America 
as speedily and quietly as possible, and he felt con- 
vinced that the time had arrived when a bold stroke 
was advisable. 



218 THE WIFE OF 

The Colonel, therefore, bowed low before Mrs. Red- 
mond, and much enjoyed the pallor which overspread 
her face and the trembling hand extended to the British 
Ambassador, who followed in his wake. Already he 
saw himself living in luxurious idleness in some con- 
genial retreat across the water, with a bottomless purse 
in Washington always to be opened by a suggested 
return to that city. 

So he entered the dining-room jauntily and helped 
himself to a glass of wine. Colonel St. John had been 
a connoisseur in wine before his palate had become 
vitiated by bad whiskey, and the vintage offered his 
guests by the Secretary was beyond reproach. The 
Colonel took a second glass immediately, then made the 
circuit of the room and lifted another decanter; he 
evidently thought he was going to enjoy himself very 
much. 

Count Valdmir followed Colonel St. John to the 
dining-room as quickly as possible. 

" Do not be alarmed," he had said quietly to Mrs. 
Redmond in reply to her agitated whisper, " he shall 
go immediately. I will see to it." 

The Russian anticipated no difficulty in fulfilling his 
promise. He felt coldly angry that his tool should thus 
have taken the initiative, and determined to bring their 
relations to a close as speedily as possible, and ship him 
to some remote corner of the world where he could be 
kept stationary by police surveillance. 

" This is an unexpected pleasure, Colonel," he re- 
marked politely, appearing suddenly at the old man's 
elbow. 

Colonel St. John, however, was on his guard and not 
to be surprised by a flank attack. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 219 

" The pleasure is wholly mine," he replied suavely 
in his most impressive manner. 

" I was much surprised, Colonel, to meet you here." 

" Is it not the custom in Russia, Count, for a man to 
visit his daughter?" 

There was undeniable challenge in the last remark, 
and Colonel St. John raised his glass with the smile 
of one who has uttered a bon-mot and awaits its effect. 

The Russian glanced hastily about the crowded room 
and saw they were unobserved, so he stepped closer to 
his companion with bent brows and threatening aspect. 
' Do you forget the police?" he said in a hurried 
whisper. " If you become troublesome, I can easily 
send them to you." 

" How well it would look in the newspapers," re- 
turned the old man reflectively. " I can see the head- 
lines now: ' Father of Mrs. Redmond, the wife of the 
Secretary of State,' in large type you know. 

" By the way, Count," he continued slowly, " I wish 
you would visit me at my secluded residence. I need 
your assistance. There was an unfortunate contre- 
temps. I am in difficulty quite an embarrassing posi- 
tion for one of my years. I have (no doubt you will be 
surprised to hear it) a guest." 

"A guest?" 

Colonel St. John moved towards an open space behind 
some potted plants. 

" Let us stand here," he said composedly, " out of 
the crush. What a brilliant scene! It quite recalls 
other days. Yes, Count, a guest. You remember the 
paper in which you are interested?" 

" Be careful. Yes. Did you get it?" 

"Ah, thereby hangs a tale. The day after Christmas 



220 THE WIFE OF 

my duty to my country and to you kept me in the 
State Department until quite late at night. I went out 
the door opposite the Mall, preparatory to seeking Jack- 
son City, and " 

"Well?" 

Colonel St. John did not reply. His eyes were fixed 
on the opposite doorway in a helpless, glassy stare, and 
his knees shook in a manner much at variance with his 
former air of easy braggadocio. 

' ' Lyndhurst ! " he gasped. ' ' He is looking this way. 
I think he knows me." 

Upon reaching the dining-room Lyndhurst adjusted 
his eyeglasses and looked for Miss Byrd. Before he dis- 
covered her, however, he chanced to glance at the oppo- 
site corner and noticed the figure he had seen a short 
time previous and whom he judged to be an unwelcome 
guest. As he looked his first idle curiosity was re- 
placed by incredulous astonishment, gradually changing 
into unwilling conviction. And Mrs. Redmond, stand- 
ing a few niches behind him in the broad hall, looked 
also with a sickening sense of impending catastrophe 
not unlike the moments of oppressive breathlessness 
immediately preceding the crash of a storm. 

" He recognizes you," observed Count Valdmir 
coolly. " I am not sorry. Your blood is on your own 
head." 

"You'll help me out?" 

" Not I, Colonel. You came uninvited, and you may 
get out the best way you can. ' ' 

The old man laid a shaking hand on his companion's 
arm. 

" Listen," he said quickly, " I was just going to tell 
you I've got the paper." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 221 

" Which paper? I lack two." 

" The first. The story of the Roostchook case: the 
confidential history the under side." 

' ' Turn your head aside ; Lyndhurst may not be sure 
of you. Now give it to me." 

" It is not here. I left it in my room. If I get away 
safely, safely, Count, you shall have it. Otherwise it 
is lost to Russia. ' ' 

Count Valdmir hesitated a moment, then lifted the 
heavy portiere beside him. 

" This passage," he said hurriedly, " leads into the 
front hall. Be quick. I will see that you get out safely 
because I need your assistance; I will also accompany 
you to the front door to make sure you do not conceal 
yourself anywhere in this house. As I told you, she 
shall not be annoyed by you while I can prevent it. 
This way, Colonel. I will see you later. I must have 
that paper to-night. Do you understand?" 

Lyndhurst watched the two figures disappear behind 
the heavy portiere. Instinctively he turned to follow 
them, but paused abruptly, for his hostess stood di- 
rectly in his path, her eyes raised to his filled with 
the dominant note of appeal that he had once before 
encountered. And as he hesitated he heard the front 
door close. 

The Englishman took out his monocle, polished and 
carefully readjusted it. It was his ever-present refuge 
in moments of embarrassment. 

" Madame," said Count Valdmir, appearing sud- 
denly beside them, " will you not allow me to get you a 
glass of wine? One should welcome the New Year 
cordially eh, Lyndhurst ? ' ' 

" I do not want the wine," said Mrs. Redmond as 



222 THE WIFE OF 

they turned away, " but I must sit down a moment ; my 
head whirls." 

He drew forward a chair in an alcove in the hall, 
screened by a tall palm and comparatively quiet. 

" Do not be troubled," he said gently, " he has gone. 
I shall insist upon his leaving the country immediately. ' ' 

' ' You are kind sometimes, Count, and I am grateful. ' ' 

She rested her head against the high, carved back of 
her chair, and it seemed to the man looking down upon 
her that the dark mahogany afforded a most appropriate 
setting for the pure flesh-tints against it. Count Vald- 
mir possessed decided artistic tendencies and appreciated 
a picture perfect in all its details. 

" I am tired," she said, closing her eyes wearily, 
" very tired." 

Outside a carriage-door slammed and the roll of 
wheels filled the ensuing pause. 

The Russian Attache stood for some minutes in silence, 
and when at last he spoke it was reluctantly, as though 
he would gladly have left the stillness unbroken. 

" It is Thursday," he said slowly. 

The dark lashes lifted suddenly, and a soft flush re- 
placed the pallor of her cheeks as she replied in a voice 
which hesitated somewhat, as though unwilling to per- 
form its task of articulation: 

' You have said very kind, very complimentary 
things to me sometimes, Count. I wonder if you mean 
them? I wonder if you really care?" 

He came closer and leaned over the back of the chair, 
his hand grasping the grinning griffins carved upon its 
arms. 

" Care!" he said hoarsely. " How like a woman! 
Care " 



223 

" Hush," she interrupted, " we will be noticed. It 
is, as you did not fail to remind me, Thursday. I will 
keep my word unless you voluntarily release me. Now 
listen." 

She paused and touched her lips with her lace-edged 
handkerchief while the rose in her corsage stirred 
uneasily. 

" To-night," she resumed with an effort, " I had 
promised to meet you. Instead, you may come here at 
ten o'clock. I will receive you alone." 

" Quite alone?" 

" Quite alone, Count Valdmir. Senator Byrd gives 
a stag dinner and my husband is a guest. I can allow 
you one hour." 

"An hour passes quickly. Can you not be more 
generous ? ' ' 

" One hour," she repeated. " I am engaged for the 
early evening, and later it is not safe. May I expect 
you?" 

" I shall be punctual, Madame." 

" Estelle," said the Secretary, appearing from 
behind the palm, " I have been looking for you. Baron 
von Wertman is going." 



224 THE WIFE OF 



XXIII 



SOME hours later Estelle Redmond lay on the couch 
in her dressing-room with closed eyes and throbbing 
temples. She heard the voices of the servants as they 
moved quietly about, setting the house to rights, and 
submitted unresistingly to the ministrations of Jose- 
phine and the cologne bottle. The touch of the maid's 
cool fingers was pleasant to her hot forehead, and their 
slow, regular motion insensibly soothing, but at last her 
mistress turned away her head and motioned her to stop. 

" Thank you, Josephine," she said gently, " it was 
very refreshing. If you will leave me alone now I think 
I can sleep." 

And the maid smoothed the crushed pillow and noise- 
lessly departed. 

The winter twilight deepened, and still she lay 
motionless, gazing with wide, sleepless eyes at the gath- 
ering shadows. The room was filled with ghosts, per- 
sistent in their silent obtrusiveness. 

The ghosts brought pictures with them a constantly 
changing panorama which would not be ignored. Again 
and again it passed before her with increasing dis- 
tinctness. 

She saw a little girl, at first systematically neglected, 
and left to pick up what crumbs of knowledge she could, 
and then, grown older, a subject of discussion between 
her father and his friends ; she heard the child 's points 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 225 

checked off one by one, eyes, hair, complexion, and 
one man say with a coarse laugh: 

' ' By Jove, St. John, she '11 be your strongest card ! 
Better invest a little money in her. ' ' 

Well, the money had been spent lavishly, and Estelle 
understood now how profitable the investment had been. 

She recalled the winter in Egypt and the hurried 
flight thence one night. That was the year her father 
gave her the opals, with a tender little speech about her 
mother and the jewels she had left in his keeping for 
her little girl. And she had guarded them carefully 
even during the period of poverty and loneliness in 
Paris. Now she doubted whether her mother had ever 
seen them, and was oppressed by their possession. 

She remembered Berlin and her horrified awakening; 
also Paris, and the happiness which had come to her 
there. And always when the scene of retrospection 
changed from country to country, two dominant figures 
stood beside her in the foreground her father and 
Count Valdmir. 

Estelle turned restlessly. Was there no peace in the 
world? She heard her husband ascend the stairs and 
pass into her sitting-room. His step, she noted, had 
become singularly slow of late. 

The clock struck six. At ten she would receive Count 
Valdmir. 

Estelle sat suddenly upright with clinched hands and 
burning cheeks. 

" In his own house," she said, glancing towards the 
next door, " his own house." 

She sat for some minutes on the edge of the couch 
gazing at the portiere which hung at the communicating 
door. As she looked a strange sensation of peace and 

15 



226 THE WIFE OF 

security gradually replaced the turmoil of her mind, and 
her lips curved in a tremulous smile. After a moment 
she rose and moved slowly towards the door. 

" I '11 tell him, ' ' she whispered as she crossed the room. 
" Why, of course. It's very easy. I'll tell him every- 
thing myself and he'll understand. He'll be very 
sorry, but he '11 understand. ' ' 

Her husband sat upon a couch beside the fire leaning 
back against the soft pillows and watching the flicker- 
ing light of the burning logs. He did not hear Mrs. 
Redmond raise the portiere and enter, for he was ab- 
sorbed in thought. Half way across the room she paused 
uncertainly. How tired he looked how very tired ! 

"John," she said softly. 

The Secretary turned quickly. 

" Room for two," he said, holding out his arms, 
" room for two, Estelle." 

He drew her down upon the couch beside him, her 
head upon his shoulder. One arm was about her waist, 
the other held her soft white hand, and occasionally 
raised it to his lips. 

"John, " she repeated, and again paused irresolute. 

The Secretary looked at his wife and smiled. It was 
a smile which came from his heart and drove from his 
face the lines of care. In his eyes shone love, bound- 
less, generous, and capable of much endurance, a love 
based on faith and secure in its utter confidence. 

"Is it anything especial, dearest?" he said, the arm 
about her waist tightening a little. 

Mrs. Redmond made an ineffectual effort to speak; 
her breath came quickly and she was oppressed with a 
sensation of smothering. Only a moment she hesitated, 
then looked up into his eyes with an answering smile. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 227 

" No, John," she said gently, " I wanted to be with 
you." 

The log blazed up cheerfully, its rosy light falling 
upon the white folds of her dressing-gown and touching 
gently her brow and hair. 

" Estelle," said the Secretary slowly, " would you 
like to go abroad?" 

" For the summer, dear?" 

' ' For as long as you please. ' ' 

" But could you be spared indefinitely, John?" 

" I think so," he said regretfully; " in fact, Estelle, 
I think I will be spared altogether. I am going to 
resign." 

" What?" 

Mrs. Redmond sat upright and pushed back her hair. 

' ' To resign ! ' ' she repeated. 

" Do you mind so much giving up your high estate, 
my dear? I am sorry." 

" It isn't that," she said breathlessly; " you know I 
don't mind anything as long as we are together. But 
why are you going to do it, tell me, John. ' ' 

' ' I am getting old, ' ' he replied slowly ; ' ' official life 
is too much for me. Since Leigh disappeared I trust 
nobody, believe in nobody, confide in nobody except 
you, dear, always excepting you." 

"John," she said, resuming her position within his 
arms, " it's strange about Mr. Leigh, isn't it?" 

' ' Very strange, Estelle. ' ' 

" Do you believe him guilty?" 

" I don't know," he returned, " I don't know, dear. 
I hope, if he is guilty, he may never be found. I would 
rather think of him with the benefit of a doubt than 
with the certainty of conviction." 



228 THE WIFE OF 

"Why, John?" 

" He was such a fine young fellow so clean-cut and 
straightforward. I could not help being much inter- 
ested in him, and if anyone I have loved and trusted 
deceives me, for any reason, I think, dear, I had rather 
not know it. I am not so strong as I once was, and it 
is that sort of thing which takes the life out of a 
man." 

" Yes," she said tremulously, " yes." 

" With all the circumstantial evidence against young 
Leigh my better judgment tells me he is not guilty, but 
a victim to something that will yet be explained, but as 
I said," he continued, drawing her closer, "I'm not so 
young nor so strong as I once was. Things worry me. 
I don't suppose I am as capable of handling vexatious 
problems as I used to be, and so, dear, I'm going to 
resign. ' ' 

" They won't let you," she said, speaking with con- 
viction, " the President would never accept your resig- 
nation. ' ' 

" On the contrary, Estelle, he would be very willing. 
Our relations are not cordial. This morning at the 
White House before the diplomatic reception we had a 
most unpleasant interview. Don't ask me to tell you 
about it; I had thought him my staunch friend until 
lately, and therein lies the sting." 

"Oh," she cried, " I hate him! I hate him!" 

" Hush, dear. Perhaps he is right. He is troubled 
as well as I, for this Roostchook matter is of vital im- 
portance. The loss of the papers just now affects the 
integrity of the Government his honor, and most of all 
mine, Estelle, for they were in my hands for safekeep- 
ing." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 229 

"And all this," she said bitterly, " comes of a paper 
a miserable paper which may be found at any time." 

"Ah," he replied, " I would take a new lease on life, 
little girl, if I could have it in my hands together with 
the synopsis the President gave me of his policy you 
remember I told you about it and how it disappeared 
also?" 

She remembered very well. 

" But, John," she said timidly, " I can't see what 
great harm is done if it has been stolen. Isn't it just a 
tempest in a teapot which will blow over shortly? It 
seems to me there is a tremendous excitement about a 
very little matter, after all." 

" Estelle," he said, turning back the lace of her loose 
sleeve and watching the play of the firelight upon her 
arm, " do you understand what war means?" 

" I think so, John." 

' Well, if the stolen papers should be in the posses- 
sion of the Russian Government, in six months or less 
this country would be involved in a war which might 
become international. There would be fatherless chil- 
dren and widows, sacrifice of human life, and unutter- 
able horrors you could not even imagine. Now do you 
understand the President's attitude?" 

She did not reply, and he continued quietly. 

The country needs a more vigorous man to bring it 
safely through this crisis. I have been put in a position 
of great trust, weighed, and found wanting. So, dear- 
est, I am going to resign, and Rivers will be made 
Secretary of State." 

"Ah!" the exclamation was expressive, and the Sec- 
retary smiled sadly. 

"You don't like him," he said; "you would not 



230 THE WIFE OF 

want to see him in my place, filling it more efficiently 
than I have done, is that it, dear? Well, we won't stay 
here. I think I would not enjoy it myself. We'll go 
abroad, you and I ; after all, we have each other. I will 
not be sorry to have done with public life. I don't like 
leaving under a cloud, that's all." 

" But, John 

" Will you play me something, Estelle? We won't 
talk any more just now. Very soon I must dress and 
go out. I wish I had not told Byrd I would come. I 
have a fancy for a little music, and there is none so sweet 
as yours, so if you don't mind 

She put her arms about his neck and laid her cheek 
to his. 

"John," she said brokenly, " you will never, never 
know how much I love you." 

And the Secretary held her close, oblivious to every- 
thing except the present moment. 

" Now," she continued, raising a flushed face and 
speaking quietly, " put your head on this pillow so. 
That poor head which aches from so much thinking. 
Perhaps things will come out right after all, dear. I 
will play very softly and you shall go to sleep. I'll 
wake you in time to dress. Is dinner at eight ? ' ' 

" Play the old Scotch airs, Estelle," he said as she 
opened the piano, " I like them best." 

So Mrs. Redmond played the old Scotch airs, and the 
Secretary listened dreamily. Softer and softer grew the 
music until at last it ceased entirely; the fire snapped 
and sparkled appreciatively, but the Secretary was 
asleep. 

His wife crossed the room and sank upon her knees 
beside the couch, her head upon the pillow close to 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 231 

his. Mechanically she repeated his words in reference 
to David Leigh, 

' ' If one I loved has deceived me, I would rather never 
know it." 

How worn he looked. His hand, lying half open upon 
his knee, was almost transparent in the fitful light of 
the fire, and now and then the fingers twitched ner- 
vously. 

The half hour struck. At seven she must wake him; 
at eight he would be gone, taking with him all her sense 
of strength and security. At nine she must dress. At 
ten how the time flew. 

The Secretary stirred in his sleep ; she rose and, lean- 
ing over the couch, smoothed his hair caressingly, 
adroitly moving the pillow into a more comfortable 
position and touching his forehead gently with her lips. 

' ' Judas, ' ' she murmured as she returned to the piano. 

But the fingers which pressed the" keys trembled and 
produced discord, for the little devils which lurk in 
the background of life had leaped upon Mrs. Redmond, 
and she winced before the attack; they are named 
Regret and Remorse; their arrows are poisoned and 
their swords two-edged. They are very busy little devils 
too, for they neglect nobody, and consequently pay a 
great many visits during the day and night. 



232 THE WIFE OF 



XXIV 



COUNT VALDMIR adjusted the gold link which held his 
cuff and surveyed the effect of his immaculate evening 
costume critically. From head to foot it was beyond 
reproach. His valet gathered up the debris of rejected 
ties and unsatisfactory shirts and remarked tenta- 
tively : 

" The old gentleman, sir? He has waited a long 
time." 

' ' You may bring him in. ' ' 

Colonel St. John had waited patiently in the small 
reception-room for an hour or more. The air of de- 
bonair assurance he had worn so jauntily that morning 
had quite departed, leaving in its stead a nervous de- 
pression and his customary manner of furtive obse- 
quiousness. 

So he returned Count Valdmir's greeting depre- 
catingly and at once announced his errand. 

" I have brought the papers," he said, producing a 
package from his coat pocket. 

"Ah," said the Russian, " that is well." 

He held them reflectively, studying the outer wrapper 
carefully. 

" Roostchook. Confidential," he read slowly. " This 
looks promising, Colonel. Where did you get it?" 

Colonel St. John hesitated. 

" It is a long story, Count. As I said this morning, 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 233 

I need your assistance. My position is most embar- 
rassing. ' ' 

' ' I have not time to hear you now, ' ' said Count Vald- 
mir impatiently, looking at his watch, " nor to ex- 
amine the papers. I have an important engagement at 
ten. After all, it does not matter where they came from 
nor how you procured them, provided they are genuine. 
If not, Colonel well, we won't discuss the result." 

Putting the package in his desk, he turned the key 
carefully. 

" I am going out," he remarked suggestively, pro- 
ducing a fur-lined overcoat. " I think, Colonel, you 
will soon be at liberty to leave America. Our work is 
almost completed. Next week, at the latest, I hope to 
send in my report to my Government. You will receive 
an adequate reward, although not perhaps as large as 
you secured from the Hertford case." 

The old man winced perceptibly. 

" Count," he said hurriedly, " I am watched. I 
feel it." 

"Ah," replied the Russian indifferently, " doubtless. 
You have become quite a public character, Colonel, and 
must expect these annoyances. I have myself to-day 
employed an agent whom I can trust to shadow you and 
prevent you from again committing the indiscretion of 
this morning. No doubt it was he who followed you 
to-night." 

There was malignant hatred in the glance Colonel St. 
John shot from beneath his lowered eyelids at his com- 
panion, and his hand clinched angrily. 

" Come," said Valdmir authoritatively, " I am going 
out and have no idea of leaving you alone in my apart- 
ments. Go home." 



234 THE WIFE OF 

He spoke very much as though his dog had followed 
him against his will. 

" Yes," said the old man dejectedly, "I'm going, 
Count." 

The figure which crept down the stairs was stooped 
and feeble and did not suggest the erect, well-clad form 
which had surprised Mr. Rivers earlier in the day by 
emerging from the Octagon House. Colonel St. John 
had aged perceptibly in a few hours, and as he retraced 
his steps he glanced from side to side in evident appre- 
hension. 

11 When he opens them," he muttered, " my God! 
when he opens them ! ' ' 

Count Valdmir, having disposed of his guest, walked 
rapidly along, enjoying the keen air of the winter's 
night. Overhead were myriads of stars, and underfoot 
the pavements glistened with a powdering of snow. It 
had sleeted in the afternoon and the parks through w T hich 
he passed were transformed into fairyland, where every 
leaf and twig was outlined in a transparent covering 
which glittered and shone beneath the electric lights. 

Count Valdmir 's pulses throbbed unaccountably as he 
walked, and his mind was not occupied with the inter- 
view just ended with Colonel St. John; instead he 
thought exultantly of the interview yet to come with 
Colonel St. John 's daughter, and quickened his pace that 
he might be punctual. 

Meanwhile, Mrs. Redmond in her dressing-room 
turned slowly from her mirror. 

" That will do, Josephine," she said reluctantly . 

Josephine breathed a relieved sigh and stepped back 
to admire her work. Never in all her experience had she 
found her mistress so difficult to please. One gown 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 235 

after another had been tried and rejected, and her best 
efforts as to coiffure had failed to prove satisfactory. 
Josephine had not suggested rouge to-night, for Mrs. 
Redmond's cheeks alternately glowed and paled after 
the manner of the opals in her jewel-case and her eyes 
shone brilliantly beneath her black brows. 

Josephine straightened a fold of the lace which veiled 
the pale pink underskirt and looked critically at the 
result. The gown was long and clinging in effect; a 
demi-toilet of lace and soft silk ; the sleeves, open to the 
shoulder, fell away from the arms in a misty cloud of 
lace, and the white breast and throat were framed in 
the same filmy material. The French maid clasped her 
hands ecstatically. 

11 Madame is ravishing," she exclaimed; " now, if 
she would but consent to the opal about her neck it 
would be complete. The one stone, Madame? It is 
necessary. ' ' 

And the opal upon its glittering string of diamonds 
added an effective finishing-touch. 

" Now," remarked Josephine triumphantly, " Ma- 
dame is indeed irresistible." 

' I hope so, I am sure," replied Mrs. Redmond invol- 
untarily as she passed into her sitting-room with its 
rose-shaded lights and glowing fire. 

It seemed to Count Valdmir, when he entered a few 
moments later, that the room was an appropriate setting 
for the woman who stood at the window looking out into 
the street, one arm holding back the heavy curtain and 
showing round and white against the dark velvet. 

"Ah," she exclaimed softly, turning from the window, 
' ' you have come. I was watching for you. ' ' 

" I am not late," he said, takinsr her outstretched 



236 THE WIFE OF 

hand. " I lingered on the doorstep until my watch 
crawled round to ten. How slowly it moved! But it 
was the appointed hour, so I waited for it. ' ' 

"And I," she said, " waited also." 

" Tell me," he said eagerly, " are you glad to see 
me? Am I, for once, welcome? Let me look into your 
eyes and read my answer there. They are such truthful 
eyes I doubt if they could lie." 

But as he bent over her the dark lashes were lowered 
instinctively. 

' ' I wanted you to come, ' ' she whispered, ' ' I wanted 
you." 

11 Little hands," he said, drawing her towards him, 
" little hands! See how easily I hold them both in 
one of mine." 

' ' Come, ' ' she said, gently withdrawing them, ' ' let us 
be comfortable. Talk to me, say pleasant things. I want 
to be diverted to-night." 

She seated herself beside the fire and the Eussian 
leaned over the back of her chair, his eyes alight with 
that other fire which of late had often smouldered there. 

' ' So you were watching for me, ' ' he said ' ' for me. ' ' 

" I have watched for you before, Count often." 

" To-night," he continued, his breath stirring the 
hair about her ears, " to-night, this one hour, is mine. 
You are not Mrs. Redmond, you are not Estelle St. John, 
you are the Countess Valdmir." 

' ' The Countess Valdmir, ' ' she repeated ; ' ' and do you 
love her your Countess? Is she more to you than 
anything in life?" 

" In life or death, Estelle. Ah, you frown. May I 
not call my Countess by her name?" 

" By any name to-night." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 237 

" I have waited," he said eagerly, " I have been 
patient, and at last I have my reward. See, your color 
varies. It is your heart, and to-night it throbs for me. ' ' 

" For you," she said, " for you to-night." 

" In Russia," he continued, " I have estates where I 
am unquestioned master, but the castles beyond the 
steppes have no mistress and I have no home. Very 
soon I shall be recalled, for my mission is drawing to a 
close. ' ' 

He paused and knelt upon the tiger-skin rug beside 
her. 

" I do not wish to return alone," he said slowly. 

A hot, red flush stained her face and breast, faded 
and left her white and trembling. 

" Hush!" she exclaimed, " hush!" 

' ' I want you, ' ' he resumed. ' ' More than anything in 
heaven or earth, I want you." 

" More than fame?" she interrupted. " More than 
official honor? More than the glory of court life the 
friendship of the Czar?" 

" More than life itself," he replied quickly, " and I 
mean to have you, Star of the World. ' ' 

; ' Don't," she said, her brow contracting, " don't." 
' The old name is painful, then? Listen, Estelle, I 
can make you happy? From me you have nothing to 
conceal ; no secret to eat away your heart ; no spectre 
of the past to shadow you. Together we would bury it ; 
together begin a new life " 

" You are strong," she interrupted, her eyes fixed on 
the little French clock on the mantel, " and we are weak 
sometimes, we women. We need support." 

"And I can love," he said impetuously, " ah, what 
would I not do for the woman who returned that love ? ' ' 



238 THE WIFE OF 

The fire blazed up brightly and the little clock ticked 
hurriedly, as though, indeed, it were working against 
time. 

" What would you do for her?" she whispered, lean- 
ing towards him, " tell me, what would you do if she 
loved you ? If she went back to Russia with you, to the 
castles beyond the steppes?" 

" Home," he said softly, " home, Estelle." 

" What would you do for her?" she persisted. 
" Would you give up for her sake all that you have 
been at so much trouble to procure ? Would you return 
to Russia an acknowledged failure? A test, Count, a 
test. Would your love survive it ? " 

Count Valdmir sprang to his feet and walked hur- 
riedly up and down the room; Mrs. Redmond rose also 
and stood watching him, her figure tense and rigid and 
her fingers tightly interlaced. 

' ' The price is high, ' ' he said, pausing before her, 
" very high." 

She straightened herself suddenly and moved a step 
or two towards him. The loose lace sleeves fell away 
from the white arms and the small head with its weight 
of dark hair was held proudly erect, as though conscious 
of its value. 

" The price is high," he repeated, his eyes upon the 
figure before him. 

" Well," she said haughtily, " what of that? Am I 
not worth it?" 

The diamonds about her throat shot forth a hundred 
rays and the opal pendant gleamed scarlet as it caught 
the light. 

" Worth it?" he cried passionately. " Ay, that and 
more much more." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 239 

And the little clock upon the mantel struck eleven 
sharply, as though glad to have it over with. 

' ' The time is up, ' ' she said ; ' ' your hour, Count, has 
ended." 

" But my life has just begun," he answered; " there 
are details to arrange much to discuss. When may I 
see you again ? Estelle, I want to say good-night. ' ' 

He put his arm about her waist and drew her gently 
towards him. 

' ' Your lips, ' ' he said, ' ' are mine. ' ' 

With a swift, unexpected movement she slipped away 
from him. 

" You are too late, Count, too late. Your hour has 
passed and you must go. Another time 

Count Valdmir's face darkened and his brows con- 
tracted. 

" It is my right," he said. 

" Not yet," she replied breathlessly, " your privilege, 
perhaps, if I chose to grant it, but not yet your right, 
Count Valdmir." 

He turned towards the door, white and angry. 
' I shall not ask the privilege again," he said shortly, 
" it waits you at my rooms. I also have my price. I do 
not desire to give all and receive nothing." , 

"Ah," she said, holding out her hand appealingly, 
1 ' do not go away angry. If I have hurt you, I am sorry. 
I will see you again, but now the time passes quickly. 
It is not safe for you to stay. I will let you know when 
next you may come and we will talk over our plans and 
my request. It is the only stipulation I shall make." 

Count Valdmir's eyes narrowed as he grasped her 
hand almost roughly. 

" If you want me," he said brusquely, " you must 



240 THE WIFE OF 

come to me do you understand? I also can stipulate. 
I am not a safe plaything for a woman unless she proves 
herself sincere." 

"And if she proves it, Count, to your satisfaction? If 
she puts aside the convenances and comes at your bid- 
ding, comes to you gladly, as her privilege and your 
right, what then?" 

" Then," he said softly, " ah, then, Estelle, she has 
but to request. There is nothing I will not do. ' ' 

The blazing log smouldered and fell apart, sending a 
shower of sparks upward to mark its dissolution. 

" You will tell me," he said, bending towards her, 
" when I may expect 

" The Countess Valdmir," she finished softly. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 241 



XXV 



THE row of carriages lined up against the curbstone 
indicated to the world at large that it was Friday after- 
noon and Mrs. Chesley was, according to custom, " at 
home." There had been many visitors, chiefly femi- 
nine, and much conversation of a spasmodic and desul- 
tory nature had been conducted over the teacups and 
beneath waving plumes. The Senator was wont to say 
(with an apology for the pun) that the sounds which 
emanated from the crowded rooms during these recep- 
tions rendered the Byrd house on K Street not unlike 
the bird-house at the Zoo, a remark his sister received 
with the silent contempt it deserved. 

Isabel, presiding at the tea-table, distinctly sulked. 
The same people, she reflected morosely, had visited them 
almost every Friday that winter and said the same 
things ; also on the other five days of the week she was 
apt to encounter them elsewhere and exchange similar 
remarks. And she actually remembered having enjoyed 
it and entered keenly into the whirl of engagements 
which always presented themselves during the season, 
and which seemed so tiresome to-day. She wondered 
if she could be growing old; had she not that morning 
discovered one gray hair 1 a discovery bringing as much 
depression in its wake as though she had found it neces- 
sary to assume a wig. As a matter of fact, she had not 
yet quite recovered her poise since her outburst a few 

16 



242 THE WIFE OF 

evenings previous and was inclined to consider the world 
flat, stale, and unprofitable, and herself a much injured 
damsel for having to reside therein. 

She therefore returned Monsieur du Pre's civilities so 
abstractedly that the little Frenchman mentally deplored 
the absence of aplomb in the American girl and sought 
relief elsewhere. Isabel enjoyed one portion of the 
afternoon only, and this was when Mr. Rivers hovered 
on the outskirts of the crowd waiting an opportunity 
to approach. At this time she was apparently absorbed 
in her duties with the teacups and handed Lyndhurst 
the sugar with a glance and smile which caused that 
young Attache to believe himself supplied with nectar. 

The Member of Congress shrugged his shoulders and 
walked away. He was quite conscious that the dimples 
brought to bear on Lyndhurst were displayed for his 
especial benefit, and determined to surprise her by 
making no further effort to secure a word for himself. 
And Miss Byrd was surprised and somewhat chagrined ; 
she had expected a different result when she saw him 
enter, and had anticipated bestowing upon her recreant 
lover the slight nod and frosty smile which would convey 
to him the fact that he was still unforgiven. 

Rivers took his departure as soon as possible, blandly 
smiling without and hotly raging within. He had not 
enjoyed recently receiving a package containing the 
gifts he had bestowed upon his fiancee; nor had he 
relished the curt " Not at home" which had baffled his 
attempt to see her, and the return of his letter un- 
opened. These were slights which the popular and rising 
young politician felt to be undeserved, he therefore de- 
termined that the next advance should come from Isa- 
bel, and he would graciously respond. He entertained 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 243 

no real doubt that sooner or later she would make this 
advance. Was he not the most desirable parti in Wash- 
ington? Meanwhile, the girl deserved a lesson, and he 
resolved upon a wholesome course of indifference and 
neglect, which, experience had taught him, was often 
efficacious in such cases. 

So the desirable parti betook himself to the Metro- 
politan Club and sat down ostensibly to read the even- 
ing paper, but in reality to reflect. He was about to 
make a move in the game of politics which demanded 
delicacy of touch and careful manipulation, and which 
would, he believed, give him command of the situation; 
it therefore required thoughtful attention. There was 
another matter, however, of less importance which in- 
terfered with its calm consideration by continually rising 
uppermost in his mind and in refusing to be ignored. 

By some unfortunate chance he had lost the ring Isa- 
bel had so contemptuously returned him and which he 
had carried afterwards in his waistcoat pocket. Of 
course, it could be duplicated, although the stone was 
of great value. It was not the necessity of buying an- 
other which disturbed the Hon. Charles Rivers, for he 
was generously disposed ; it was the fact that the miss- 
ing ring was marked with their joint initials and a 
date. Also, he had good reason to believe it had dropped 
from his pocket during his New Year's visit to the Oc- 
tagon House, and was apprehensive lest it be found 
there and advertised in the daily papers, with full 
accompanying description for Isabel or her father to 
read and recognize. It was all most annoying, but he 
believed the best solution was to immediately order a 
duplicate, which could be produced by him if neces- 
sary. 



244 THE WIFE OF 

Meanwhile, Lyndhurst had also brought his visit to 
a termination and walked slowly to his rooms absorbed 
in thought. 

He had in his pocket the report of the Secret Service 
man he had employed to trace Colonel St. John, and 
this report contained singularly disquieting information. 
He remembered it word for word. 

" Colonel St. John, alias William Lewis, alias Joseph Sanders. 
Present residence, Washington. Present occupation, viz.: 

" As Colonel St. John, conducts gambling-house at Jackson 
City. 

" As Joseph Sanders, employed as watchman in the State 
Department. 

" As William Lewis, janitor of the Octagon House, Eighteenth 
Street and New York Avenue. 

" Sometimes visited at latter place by one gentleman after 
nightfall; once visited by a lady. Followed on New Year's Day 
to the reception given by the Secretary of State; followed the 
same evening to the apartments of Count Alexis Valdmir, attache 
Russian Legation." 

Thus read the report, and he repeated it as he walked 
along. Well, he had traced his man at last ; he had but 
to say the word and Colonel St. John's days of liberty 
were at an end. Still, he hesitated unaccountably. 
There had been unexpected developments and certain 
complications had arisen unknown to the Secret Service, 
perhaps, but painfully obtrusive nevertheless. 

Again and again Lyndhurst put two and two together 
and compared the result. It was an unpleasant total, 
taking it all in all, and he told himself disgustedly that 
he'd be hanged if he understood it. 

How did Colonel St. John, notorious blackleg that he 
was, secure a position under the United States Govern- 
ment? 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 245 

"Why should he present himself as a guest at the home 
of the Secretary of State, and why should Mrs. Red- 
mond appear disconcerted upon perceiving him ? 

What connection had he with Count Valdmir? 

Colonel St. John, of Berlin, was well known to pos- 
sess a daughter. Colonel St. John, of Washington, was 
apparently childless. Where was his daughter ? 

At this point Lyndhurst abruptly checked his train of 
thought, only to encounter fresh perplexities and a new 
series of questions admitting of no satisfactory reply. 

He recalled his first visit to the Octagon House and 
the bit of blue gauze he had found there, which now 
reposed in his card-case and seemed to him strangely like 
the gown Miss Byrd had worn the evening he had dis- 
covered the wet spot on her skirt and been informed of 
her engagement; also the footprints in the snow in the 
old garden when he had reconnoitred on Christmas Day. 
What did it all mean? 

A sudden recollection of the Khedive's opals flashed 
before him, and he paused hopelessly. 

" It's too deep for me," he ejaculated aloud, his hands 
thrust into his coat-pocket and his hat pulled well down 
over his eyes. 

Should he have Colonel St. John arrested at once, or 
should he wait for an answer to the letter he had sent 
to Berlin ? He thought the arrest should be made im- 
mediately and the matter done with. 

Suddenly out of the dusk two reproachful blue eyes 
assailed him, tearful, appealing, and withal a little 
frightened. Colonel St. John was reprieved for the time 
being. 

Again recalling the footprints, Lyndhurst instinc- 
tively turned down the alley leading to the old garden 



246 THE WIFE OF 

and crossed the gap in the wall. The snow of Christmas 
had melted and been replaced by a slight covering to- 
day, so the garden glistened white and spotless as the 
Englishman crossed it and approached the house. He 
scarcely knew why he went, for it formed no part of 
his plan to encounter his foe single-handed; he knew 
too well the desperate fight of cornered beasts to at- 
tempt it. 

Far up in the top of the old house a ray of light 
shone out from a chink in the broken shutter. So the 
caretaker was at home. He paused and looked at it 
long and earnestly. 

As he gazed the indecision of the moment vanished, 
leaving in its place a grim determination and a burn- 
ing thirst for revenge. Washington faded, and in its 
place arose Berlin and the costly establishment of the 
gambler. He saw his cousin's frank, boyish face and 
the eagerness with which he had entered upon his first 
important work; he saw the same face cold in death 
with the nasty hole in the temple, and heard his sister's 
voice as she clung to him with trembling lips and tear- 
dimmed eyes. 

" It can't be true, Cecil, it can't be true. Bertie could 
not have done it." 

The blue eyes appeared again, but without avail, for 
Lyndhurst remembered the misery in the gray eyes at 
home and swore softly as he recalled them. 

"As ye sow, so shall ye reap," he said aloud as the 
desire for justice overpowered him. He would quietly 
make sure Colonel St. John was at home, then he would 
himself return with the police. The affair should be 
settled once for all; he would not hesitate, no matter 
who was involved. He repeated it quite fiercely to him- 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 247 

self as he opened the insecure latch of the old back door 
and entered the hall, dark with the early dusk of the 
winter's day. 

11 No matter who is involved." 

The Englishman was troubled by no fears of the su- 
pernatural as he swiftly ascended the stairs towards that 
upper light. He was only conscious of the sportsman's 
desire for a look at his prey safe in its lair before taking 
the decisive step of its capture, so he walked as softly as 
possible and reached the landing unmolested. 

The janitor's door was slightly ajar. The lock had be- 
come difficult to manage since Mr. Rivers 's visit. Colonel 
St. John had observed it apprehensively that very even- 
ing, and intended to provide himself with a bolt as 
soon as possible. To-night, however, the door swung 
partly open and Lyndhurst looked expectantly inside, 
but the room was empty, the dim light coming from an 
inner door. Colonel St. John was on duty to-night as 
watchman and had left some time before, but Lyndhurst, 
ignorant of this fact, hesitated on the landing, unde- 
cided whether to retreat or advance, being alone and 
unarmed. 

As he paused uncertainly a sound from the inner 
room arrested his attention. It was the restless move- 
ment of an uneasy body, and he involuntarily stepped 
inside the door as a voice, thick with fever, uttered a 
familiar name. 

" Senator Byrd," it said, as though reading aloud, 
" announces the engagement of his daughter Isabel to 
the Hon. Charles Rivers, Member of Congress from 
Virginia. ' ' 

A moment 's pause, and the sentence was repeated with 
parrot-like accurateness. 



248 THE WIFE OF 

Lyndhursi hesitated no longer, but followed the ex- 
ample of Mr. Rivers and advanced to the inner room. 

The light that had attracted him emanated from the 
kerosene stove which stood upon the floor at some dis- 
tance from the cot and fell but dimly upon the mutter- 
ing figure. The Englishman, however, knelt beside it 
and scrutinized the flushed face gravely. 

" Leigh!" he exclaimed in astonishment, " David 
Leigh the private secretary!" 

Leigh raised himself upon his elbow and fixed his 
burning eyes upon his companion's face. 

" I know where they went," he said in a hoarse 
whisper, " the Roostchook papers, but I'll never, never 
tell!" 

"By Jove!" ejaculated the Englishman, in great 
perplexity, ' ' by Jove ! ' ' 

Glancing helplessly about the little room, his eye was 
attracted by a brilliant ray of light from a crack in the 
board beside the cot. Instinctively he put out his hand ; 
it proved to be a ring. Lyndhurst carried it to the oil- 
stove and examined it. In a moment Colonel St. John, 
David Leigh, and the object of his visit were forgotten, 
for he recognized the slender rim of gold supporting one 
large diamond. Had he not regretfully watched it flash 
on a certain white hand only recently ? It did not need 
the initials inside, "I. H. B. from C. R.," and the date 
engraved to tell him where it belonged. The lights from 
the diamond scorched the hand which held it, and the 
young Attache's face was very grave as he placed the 
ring in his card-case beside the bit of blue gauze and 
turned again to the figure on the floor. 

How did he get there ? What did it all mean 1 Leigh 
was very ill and quite delirious, that was evident. Lynd- 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 249 

hurst was, of course, ignorant of his mysterious disap- 
pearance, as well as of the loss of the Roostchook papers, 
but as he looked at the young fellow, restless and suf- 
fering, his face hardened ominously. 

" More foul play," he said aloud. 

' ' His daughter Isabel, ' ' repeated Leigh huskily, ' ' his 
daughter Isabel. Don't ask me about the Roostchook 
papers. I know I know." 

And Lyndhurst, with the sensation of an unwitting 
eavesdropper, hurriedly retreated. 

He felt confident there was black dealing somewhere, 
and at once started to inform the police. As he reached 
the street he paused again. 

"Justice," he said sternly, " justice, whomever it may 
involve. ' ' 

And the rays from the diamond in his pocket burned 
through the card-case and into his heart. 

Well, it would all be over soon. Colonel St. John 
should be arrested to-night, Leigh removed to a hospital, 
and his friends notified. By the way, who were his 
friends? The Englishman did not know. Whom, then, 
should he inform? 

An officer approached and looked curiously at him, 
but Lyndhurst hastened on as though he himself were 
within reach of the arm of the law, and breathed a sigh 
of relief as the man turned the corner without a back- 
ward glance. 

Again he was in Berlin, paying such of Hertford's 
debts as money could obliterate and packing his effects 
to ship home, along with his body. Lyndhurst shud- 
dered : it had been a bitter period of his existence. He 
remembered the boy's rooms, the furniture, papers, 
pictures the sketch, " Star of the World." 



250 THE WIFE OF 

It hung beside the chimney, exactly within range of 
the eye from the easy chair before the fire. His sister's 
picture in its silver frame stood upon the dressing-table, 
but Evelyn's pretty face seemed strangely insipid when 
compared with the witchery of the head among the 
clouds. The easychair was worn from much use; it 
stood uncompromisingly with its face to the chimney- 
piece and its back to the dressing-table ; Lyndhurst, sit- 
ting down in it, raised his eyes to the water-color sketch, 
looked a long time and angrily, unwillingly, under- 
stood. With complete comprehension came the hot de- 
sire for revenge and the resolution to spare neither 
pains nor money in bringing about just retribution. 

The chase had been long and wearisome. Colonel St. 
John and his daughter had apparently disappeared from 
the face of the earth, but now the end had come, sud- 
denly, unexpectedly, with an overwhelming crash of 
events and a full realization of what might follow in its 
wake. 

Again he repeated the report of the Secret Service. 

"Followed to the apartments of Count Alexis Vald- 
mir. ' ' 

Lyndhurst endeavored to classify his evidence and 
deduce the results calmly and dispassionately. 

Valdmir, sent on special duty. Cold, relentless, and 
indefatigable, Russia's best resource in time of emer- 
gency. Valdmir in communication with Colonel St. 
John; Colonel St. John employed in the Department 
of State. David Leigh, the Secretary's secretary, de- 
lirious in the Octagon House, raving indiscriminately 
about Isabel Byrd and Roostchook. On the floor be- 
side him a ring. 

The wheels of his thinking mechanism seemed to pause 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 251 

with a sudden snap, then slowly, painfully, revolve once 
more. 

Valdmir had assisted Colonel St. John to depart from 
the New Year's reception, Mrs. Redmond 

The British Attache felt suddenly giddy and removed 
his hat to allow the cold air to pass across his brow. 
He discovered he was in Farragut Park and sank ab- 
stractedly down upon one of the benches. 

Not far distant was the British Embassy; Lyndhurst 
recognized its proximity and recognized also his official 
connection with it. 

It was no part of England's policy that Russia should 
hold the controlling card regarding the vexed question 
of the Roostchook trouble. Lyndhurst had that morn- 
ing been present at a long and anxious conference on the 
subject. Was it not his plain duty to go at once and 
lay his lately acquired knowledge and suspicions before 
his chief, to act upon as the latter thought best? First 
his duty to his country. The young Englishman had 
been well-grounded in patriotism and taught to look 
facts squarely in the face. It was now a matter too 
serious for the personal equation to be considered, and 
must go, he realized, to the acting head of his Govern- 
ment for such use as he might see fit. 

' ' "Whomever it may involve, ' ' he repeated gloomily as 
he rose and walked towards the Embassy. 

At the iron fence before the substantial red-brick 
house he paused again and gazed fixedly at the lion and 
unicorn surmounting the stone porte-cochere. But in- 
stead of the emblem of his nation, Lyndhurst saw a 
girl's head with its background of filmy clouds. The 
eyes sought his, changing as he looked from blue to 
purple, and in them shone the innocence of girlhood as 



252 THE WIFE OF 

well as the appeal of womanhood to man. Lyndhurst 
convulsively grasped at the iron railing. 

" Drunk," said a passing young woman disgustedly, 
drawing back her skirts. 

Again he raised his eyes to the stone-trimmed porte- 
cochere. The lion and the unicorn now stood erect and 
rampant in their struggle for the crown, but the scion 
of their nation turned his back upon them and walked 
briskly towards Farragut Square and up the broad stone 
steps of a house near by. Here he paused and, taking 
out his card, wrote a few words upon it, unconscious that 
a carriage had stopped before the door. 

' ' Will you give this card to Mrs. Redmond ? " he said 
to the servant who responded to his ring. 

The man stood back respectfully. 

' ' Mrs. Redmond is just returning, sir, ' ' he said. 

She came slowly up the steps towards him and paused 
a moment in surprised recognition. 

" I am just back from a round of visits, with barely 
time to dress for dinner," she remarked lightly. 

The Englishman bent forward and said a few words 
in an undertone. 

" Come in," said Mrs. Redmond hastily, " yes, cer- 
tainly, Mr. Lyndhurst, I understand. James, I do not 
wish to be disturbed. ' ' 

Lyndhurst followed her into the brightly lighted hall, 
and James closed the heavy door with unmistakable deci- 
sion. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 253 



XXVI 

THE Secretary sat alone in his library watching the 
firelight play across the open letter in his hand. 

Into every life come moments when we pause and re- 
view the past. We trace, step by step, our progress up 
or down, as the case may be. We say to ourselves de- 
jectedly, " If I had only done thus or so it might have 
been different," and long to go back and do it over 
again, for we are now older, wiser, and more careful, 
if less confident and joyous. 

These moments are no respecters of persons; they 
come unsought to the systematically fortunate as well as 
the perpetually unfortunate. They are blessed indeed 
who have eaten the apple of life and found no bitter 
taste about the core. 

The Secretary moved slightly, and the paper rustled 
in his fingers. Instinctively he raised it and read it 
slowly, with the careful attention one should accord an 
autograph letter from the President. It was a cordial 
epistle, expressing great personal regard and much ap- 
preciation of his services, but it was the concluding para- 
graph to which he returned, scanning it word for word, 
as though it were not already permanently engraved upon 
his memory. 

" It has been with sincere regret that 1 have for some time 
observed the gradual failing of your health, due no doubt to the 
heavy responsibilities you have been called upon to undergo. It 
is only young shoulders that can stand erect beneath the official 



254 THE WIFE OF 

burden. Of late this has caused me serious apprehension, so 
much so that I feel it incumbent upon me to write and remon- 
strate against this needless sacrifice on your part. You have 
surely earned a long rest. Why not take it " 

' ' Why not take it ? " repeated the Secretary gravely. 

Well, he was tired, that was true enough. He had 
served his country to the best of his ability, and guided 
the ship of state safely, so far, through some rather deep 
and turbulent waters. Was his grasp upon the helm 
becoming insecure? 

He remembered the trouble in Ecuador, the crisis in 
Brazil. Now it was Eoostchook. He also recalled the 
hesitation with which he had accepted the Portfolio of 
State and the insistence of the President. 

" I must have at the head of the Cabinet," he had 
said, " a man of ability, in sympathy with the Admin- 
istration. For my own pleasure I want him to be con- 
genial and well known to me. For the sake of our old 
friendship, as well as for political reasons, I beg you not 
to refuse to accept the billet." 

The Secretary's chin dropped forward on his breast, 
his hand clinched, crushing into a tight ball the sheet 
of white paper with its blue heading of " Executive 
Mansion " as he sat motionless while the moments passed 
unnoticed. Finally he rose and went to his desk. 

" I should have done it myself," he murmured as 
he took up a pen; " he might have waited a little 
longer. ' ' 

The Secretary was indeed tasting the bitterness of the 
apple. 

Meanwhile a subdued bustle had arisen in the hall 
without, accompanied by a ringing of bells and a gen- 
eral air of suppressed excitement. Mrs. Redmond issued 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 255 

hurried but emphatic directions which the servants has- 
tened to obey, wondering greatly, while Lyndhurst stood, 
hat in hand, in the drawing-room waiting to depart. 

" Would not a hospital be better?" he suggested as 
Mrs. Redmond turned from an interview with the house- 
keeper. 

" Oh, no," she said positively, " he must be brought 
here at once. Mr. Redmond would wish it, I am sure. 
"We are indebted to you, Mr. Lyndhurst, for letting us 
know so promptly. Mr. Leigh's unexplained absence 
from the Department has caused my husband great 
anxiety. ' ' 

Lyndhurst hesitated perceptibly; he had more to say 
and scarcely knew how to say it. 

' ' I ought to tell you, ' ' he began, ' ' why I was looking 
around the Octagon House to-night." 

" No," she replied quickly, " don't. It is not neces- 
sary and I do not wish to know." 

" Mrs. Redmond," said the young Attache suddenly, 
" I well, there is something else. You are Miss Byrd's 
friend, are you not her closest friend?" 

" Her friendship is one of my pleasures, Mr. Lynd- 
hurst." 

He produced his card-case and opened it. 

" On the floor," he said reluctantly, " beside Leigh, 
I found this." 

Mrs. Redmond uttered a surprised exclamation and 
held out her hand for the ring. 

" You think," he said anxiously, " that it is surely 
hers ? There might be some mistake, some strange coin- 
cidence. Such things do happen." 

But Mrs. Redmond shook her head gravely. 

" There is no mistake, I am too familiar with it. See, 



256 THE WIFE OF 

the claw of the setting is bent slightly. Isabel's ring 
how very strange ! ' ' 

" I thought," he said, his eyes upon his hat, " that 
perhaps, as you are her friend, you might return it with- 
out telling her who found it. No doubt she is anxious 
over its loss." 

Mrs. Redmond was turning the ring over in her hand 
with a puzzled expression, and made no reply. She had 
that afternoon stopped at Senator Byrd's and received 
a hurried confidence from Isabel over which she had 
rejoiced openly. 

11 The carriage is ready," announced James at the 
door, and she roused herself abruptly. 

" You are very good to trouble yourself about this," 
she said gratefully. " I had them telephone for every- 
thing necessary. The doctor and nurse will meet you 
here and everything will be ready. As to the ring 
well, I will return it, and I am quite sure, Mr. Lynd- 
hurst, that Miss Byrd will be as surprised as ourselves 
to learn where it was found." 

She extended her hand, and Lyndhurst took it quietly 
in his. 

" Mrs. Redmond," he said earnestly, " if I can ever 
be of any real service to you, believe me, I shall be 
very glad to do what I can. ' ' 

She did not reply, and he continued : 

"I'm rather a bungling fellow, you know, and some- 
times I run plump into things I had much better keep 
clear of. The only thing I can do then is to back out 
and say nothing, but I can always be depended upon 
to do that I'm rather an expert in keeping quiet and 
attending to my own affairs only, you know. It's quite 
a hobby with me, but if at any time " 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 257 

He hesitated, uncertain how to proceed, as he felt the 
hand in his grow cold to the finger-tips. 

" Thank you," she said almost inaudibly, " I shall 
remember. ' ' 

He turned aside, hot and uncomfortable, and with an 
incoherent remark about a speedy return with his pa- 
tient beat a hasty retreat into the hall. His self-imposed 
task had grown most difficult of achievement, and he 
felt the conviction forced unwillingly upon him that 
Colonel St. John was indefinitely reprieved as far as 
he was concerned; also that he would have no report 
to submit to his chief upon the all-absorbing Roostchook 
question. 

Lyndhurst felt for a cigar and repressed an inclina- 
tion to swear. He cordially detested periods of indeci- 
sion, and heretofore had not encountered many of them 
during his career; he also detested becoming involved 
in the affairs of others, but, he reflected gloomily as he 
approached the Octagon House, he seemed to be in for 
it this time. 

The Secretary, bending over his desk in the library, 
heard the front-door close without interest. He wrote 
and rewrote, copied and revised, and at last put aside 
his pen and looked at the result of his labors. Mrs. 
Redmond entered quietly, laid her hand upon his shoul- 
der, and looked also, her blue eyes clouding and her lips 
compressed. 

" I have the honor to tender my resignation as the Secretary 
of State, to take effect upon the first proximo, and to request 
that it be accepted without delay. 

" In taking this step I am actuated by a desire to preserve the 
efficiency of the Department and to further the interests of the 
Government in the present emergency. 

17 



258 THE WIFE OF 

" I beg to express my thanks for the honor conferred upon me 
by being selected as the head of your Cabinet and for the con- 
fidence reposed in me in the past. 

" With the hope that I may receive a speedy acceptance of my 
resignation, 1 remain, 

" Your obedient servant, 

" JOHN REDMOND." 



The Secretary looked at his wife and smiled. 

" To-morrow," he said, " I will take this to the De- 
partment and have it put in official shape. Don't be 
distressed, dear. It 's all for the best. ' ' 

But Mrs. Redmond pushed the paper aside impa- 
tiently. 

" John," she said with an odd little laugh, " you 
must not do this, and you won't want to any more. He 
is found Mr. Leigh is found, and I'm having him 
brought here." 

"Found," he repeated, "found? Where, Estelle? 
I don 't think I understand. ' ' 

" He's ill, John very ill. Mr. Lyndhurst discovered 
him in an empty house. I saw him this afternoon, Mr. 
Lyndhurst, I mean, and he told me. I don't quite 
understand myself, but I gave orders for Mr. Leigh to 
be brought here at once because I thought you would 
wish it." 

" Yes," returned the Secretary, anxiously, " of 
course. But 

" I've had the blue room arranged for him," she in- 
terrupted, " and telephoned for a nurse to be sent at 
once. We must do all we can. And this" she touched 
the paper on the desk " can go into the fire, for the 
present at least." 

The Secretary's fingers tightened about that other 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 259 

paper compressed into such small compass, and he laid 
a detaining hand upon the draft of his resignation. 

" No, dear," he said, " it goes to the President. 
Under any circumstances, it goes to the President." 

Mrs. Redmond leaned over her husband and slipped 
her arm about his neck. 

"Ah, John, don't," she whispered, " wait a day or 
two. It's all coming right. For my sake, for your 
own sake, wait a little." 

But Mr. Redmond had arrived at a decision while he 
sat alone in the library, reviewing the past. 

" It goes to-morrow," he said gently. "I'm sorry 
you care so much, my dear, but it goes. ' ' 

She gave an inarticulate little cry and sank on her 
knees beside the chair. 

" Why, Estelle," he said gravely, " Estelle." 

" John," she said, taking his face between her hands 
and gazing earnestly into his eyes, " you love me, don't 
you? And and trust me too? Isn't it so?" 

" You know it, dear, why ask me?" 
' I'm asking you to prove your love. I've never 
made a point of anything since we've been married, but 
now I ask you, beg you, see, John, I, your wife, am 
on my knees to you, I beg you to wait not to send in 
that resignation." 

' ' I do not understand you to-night, Estelle. ' ' 

" It's because I have only lately learned what it 
means to you," she continued hurriedly. " I've only 
just realized how things could reflect on your honor 
but I know now, I know. I've seen you grow old and 
ill under the strain and I can't bear it I can't bear it. 
Something must happen Mr. Leigh is found, you know. 
Wait a day or two longer. Don't resign to-morrow, 



THE WIFE OF 

dear. For your own sake, for my sake, don't, John 
for my sake. ' ' 

He did not reply, and she paused a moment, then 
resumed breathlessly. 

" Just two or three days. That's all I ask. Wait that 
long. If you love me, wait that long. ' ' 

The Secretary put his arm about his wife and raised 
her gently. 

" I do not like to see you there, my dear," he said, 
"it is not fitting. You are strangely excited; your 
hands are cold and your face is flushed. Tell me why 
this is such a vital matter to you. I thought you would 
be glad to go abroad, where we could be together all the 
time. You have often said you wished I would leave 
politics. ' ' 

" But not this way," she interrupted. " Not this 
way. I only want you to wait until you are vindicated 
until they want you to stay. Something will happen, 
I I feel it. Oh, it's not much I ask, two or three 
days, a week at the longest. Oh John, dearest, to 
please me." 

" Listen, Estelle," he said gravely, " since you make 
such a point of it I will, much against my better judg- 
ment, delay a few days, but certainly no longer than a 
week. ' ' 

The Secretary's mouth set in a hard, straight line, 
and he squared his shoulders as he laid a crushed ball 
of paper upon the draft of his resignation. 

" At the end of that time," he said firmly, " it goes 
to the President. Whatever happens, and under any 
circumstances, it goes. Now let us change the sub- 
ject. I want to understand more fully about Mr. 
Leigh." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 261 

She gave a relieved sigh, taking his hand in both of 
hers and resting her face against it. 

" Oh, you're good," she murmured, " so good. And 
you won't be sorry. I have an intuition, dear women 
do sometimes, you know. That's why I was so insistent. 
I didn't want you to leave under a cloud that's what 
you called it the other night, isn 't it ? But it 's lifting 
the cloud is lifting. It's very black now, but behind it 
the sky is clear. Oh John " 

And with a sudden collapse of overwrought nerves 
Mrs. Redmond laid her head upon the desk and gave 
way to a paroxysm of tears. Sorely puzzled and withal 
a little anxious, the Secretary put his arms about her 
and drew her to the large chair beside the fire. 

' ' Don 't, sweetheart, ' ' he said, unfastening with gentle 
fingers the plumed hat she had forgotten to remove, 
" don't. Why, the whole thing is not worth a tear 
from you. You are tired and nervous, I think, and no 
wonder. Don 't cry ; it hurts me. ' ' 

" John," she said brokenly, her face hidden on his 
shoulder, " do you think you would love and trust me 
under any and all circumstances?" 

" Under any and all circumstances, Estelle." 

" Because I may put you to the test. Don't ask me 
what I mean I don't think I know. I am tired and 
nervous too, I suppose, but I've got lots to do, John, 
hard work, and when it's done I'll rest. We'll both 
rest. I hear wheels stopping at the door, don't you? 
It's Mr. Leigh; we must go out and see to him. And 
I'm foolish, John don't worry about me. Kiss me. 
Now we'll go to Mr. Leigh." 



262 THE WIFE OF 



XXVII 



LYNDHURST had faithfully discharged his errand. He 
had seen Leigh carried bodily downstairs, mattress and 
all, by the Redmond servants without rousing from the 
deep sleep into which he had sunk, and had felt thank- 
ful to the early darkness of the winter's night and the 
seclusion of the Octagon House, which combined to pre- 
vent the accumulation of the curious crowd usually in- 
separable from such occasions. To the wondering 
servants he volunteered no explanation whatever, and 
devoted his energies to supporting his companion on the 
wide back seat of the brougham. 

' ' Put the mattress inside the door and go home ; 
drive carefully, ' ' he directed with a sigh of relief at the 
absence of an inconvenient policeman of an inquiring 
turn of mind. 

Leigh slept heavily. Indeed, he seemed to be in a 
stupor from which he could not be awakened. The Eng- 
lishman anxiously touched his pulse and thanked 
Heaven his own responsibility would soon cease. 

He saw Leigh carried up the broad stairway of the 
Redmond house, followed by the doctor and a white- 
capped nurse, who waited to receive them, and found 
himself entering into a halting explanation to Mr. Red- 
mond of how he happened to be near the Octagon House, 
was attracted by the muttering of Leigh in his delirium, 
and at once investigated, being interested in ferreting 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 263 

out sounds attributed to the supernatural, and curious 
regarding the legends of the old house. He grew quite 
fluent towards the latter part of his story and brought 
himself to an abrupt pause, conscious that the Secretary 
was listening with a puzzled air and an expression of 
surprised incredulity. 

Lyndhurst suddenly remembered he had forgotten 
dinner and that the evening was well advanced, and, re- 
marking that he would look in later to hear the report 
of the doctor, beat a hasty retreat. 

It was a fact worthy of comment that when he re- 
turned to his rooms he avoided passing the British 
Legation; he believed the lion and the unicorn would 
look reproachfully down upon him and felt he deserved 
their contempt. 

" So much for prying into your neighbors' back 
doors," he remarked grimly to a friendly lamp-post as 
he stopped to light his cigar. 

Meanwhile Mrs. Redmond waited the verdict of the 
doctor. The Secretary, after a moment's hesitation, had 
followed the patient upstairs, so she sat alone in the 
brightly lighted hall, reviewing the events of the day. 

Events seemed to be crowding upon one another with 
bewildering swiftness of late, and there was a decided 
uncertainty as to what the next revolution of the wheel 
of fate might bring forth. Estelle caught her breath as 
she reflected upon the helplessness of humanity when 
their garments catch upon its cogs, and she knew that 
with the flowing draperies of woman escape is particu- 
larly difficult. Indeed, it sometimes seems as though 
the civilized world were determined to shield and pro- 
tect its masculine element, even in the fashion of their 
raiment. 



264 THE WIFE OF 

She sat in the large, carved chair from which she 
had invited Count Valdmir to be her guest on New 
Year 's night. Was it only yesterday ? It seemed to her 
ages had come and gone since then. The very griffins 
carved upon its arms suggested the handsome face of 
the Russian, and the surrounding air was filled with 
echoes of his voice. 

''A week," she said aloud, " only a week, seven days. 
But it 's got to be done somehow. ' ' 

There was a movement in the hall upstairs ; a servant 
was summoned and hastily dispatched to the nearest 
drug-store, and quiet was again restored. 

Mrs. Eedmond put her hands upon the arms of the 
chair as though to hide the griffins' heads and thought 
of her interview with Lyndhurst. So he knew. What 
ultimate use would he make of his knowledge? 

Colonel St. John's daughter believed she realized the 
implacability of his nature, but Mrs. Redmond involun- 
tarily trusted in the chivalry of his manhood. 

She heard the doctor, in the upper hall, say something 
in a low voice and her husband 's quiet reply. In another 
moment they might come downstairs. Could she pull 
herself together and talk to them naturally? For an 
instant surrounding objects blurred and the walls leaned 
towards each other; then gradually furniture and bric- 
a-brac separated, and the walls resumed their former 
upright position. Air she must have air. 

Catching up the fur-lined cloak she had flung aside 
upon her return a few hours previous she went out on 
the doorstep and leaned against the stone framework, 
her cheek pressed against its rough surface. 

" I must think," she said as the cool wind drove 
away the faintness and brought a trace of color to her 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 265 

face; " it takes a lot of thinking, but after awhile it 
will come to me. It's got to be done I see it quite 
plainly." 

The street-lamps shone dimly and the stars overhead 
displayed shining points of light against the dark back- 
ground of the sky. Carriages and pedestrians hurried 
along, bent on reaching their destination as speedily as 
possible, and the quiet of the early evening descended 
upon the city. After awhile, some hours later, the 
avocations of the night would commence and parts of 
Washington, at least, would be far from peaceful. 

Estelle pressed her face closer to the hard stone and 
looked from the stars to the street below. 

" The debt is mine," she said slowly, " mine and 
I must pay the price." 

A man and woman approached. She, resplendent as 
to hat and feathers, dragging her tawdry skirts along 
the pavement to conceal defective shoes ; he, with hands 
thrust deep in his pockets and hat well down over his 
eyes to conceal his identity. Just opposite the house 
she laid her hand, in its torn and dirty white glove, 
upon his arm and spoke earnestly, the painted face 
beneath the draggled feathers raised appealingly. With 
a muttered oath he shook off the hand as though fearing 
contamination from her touch. 

' ' Drop your whining ! " he commanded. ' ' Don 't you 
know it's all past and over?" 

She made a low-voiced reply and he impatiently 
pulled out his purse. 

" There," he said, rapidly selecting a note, " I want 
to see no more of you. Is a man never to be free from a 
millstone about his neck? Here, take it, and go back 
where you belong." 



266 THE WIFE OF 

" Where I belong?" she cried sharply; " yes, and 
who sent me there, who " 

They passed out of hearing and faded away in the 
distance, he striding along in front, she following de- 
jectedly a few feet in the rear. Night had begun 
already. 

Mrs. Redmond shivered as she went back into the 
radiance and warmth of the hall. She had looked with 
unwilling eyes into a dangerous abyss of darkness and 
felt an irresistible desire for light and safety. 

At the foot of the stairs her husband stood in earnest 
consultation with the doctor. 

"A blow on the back of the head," the physician was 
saying, " resulting in concussion. The danger lies in 
the abnormally high temperature. The case bears inves- 
tigation, Mr. Redmond. With your permission I shall 
report it to the police." 

" Certainly," said the Secretary promptly, " the 
sooner the better. I will offer a liberal reward for the 
capture of the man who dealt the blow. Mr. Leigh is 
my private secretary and an uncommonly fine young 
fellow. I have a great personal regard for him and 
interest in his welfare." 

The doctor thoughtfully drew on his gloves. 

' ' The Octagon House, I think you said, ' ' he remarked 
slowly; " a very strange case. Pity he is unable to 
throw any light on it himself, but, of course, that is out 
of the question for the present ; perhaps he may be able 
to talk a bit in a day or two, however, and it might be 
well to delay informing the police for a little. Well, I 
must be off. The nurse is entirely competent, the best 
on my list; it's lucky she was at leisure, for he needs 
skilled attention. I'll look in again later on. Mrs. Red- 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 267 

mond need feel no responsibility in the matter; Miss 
Gray has my instructions, and, as I said, she is very 
efficient. Good-night. ' ' 

"John," said Mrs. Redmond as the door closed, " will 
the police be notified to-night?" 

He replied absently that he hardly thought so, but 
was not sure. 

"And," she continued, " they will search the Octa- 
gon House set some one to watch it, perhaps ? ' ' 

" Dinner is served," said James, appearing at the 
door with a long-suffering expression of countenance. 
It was the third time that night he had made the an- 
nouncement, and as yet no one had responded. 

The Secretary put his arm about his wife. 

" Come, dear," he said gently, " you need your 
dinner and so do I. We are both tired, I think." 



In the blue room the nurse stood beside the bed and 
gazed at her patient. Up to the present time she had 
been too busy for more than a hasty pause of surprise 
when the light first fell upon his face; now, however, 
had come a lull in active operations and she could collect 
her thoughts. 

She had grown accustomed to emergency cases and 
had responded promptly when summoned, although very 
tired and sorely in need of a few days' rest, and she 
experienced a decided thrill of gratification when the 
doctor in a few hasty words expressed his satisfaction 
that she was at leisure. 

" For you know, Miss Gray, we have a tough job 
before us for a few days at least; after that it ought 
to be plain sailing. But together we'll pull him through, 



268 THE WIFE OF 

I hope. Fine-looking young chap, isn't he? I'll drop 
in again to-night. Meanwhile watch the temperature; 
it ought to fall somewhat shortly, and it must not rise. ' ' 

Mary Gray knew that her profession was apt to bring 
her in constant contact with the unexpected, but as she 
looked at the face upon the pillow she experienced a 
moment of incredulous astonishment. 

David Leigh at Mrs. Colson's had insensibly at- 
tracted her. His frank, hearty manner and laughing 
blue eyes, as well as the air of good-fellowship with the 
world in general, had appealed to the girl already weary 
of the struggle for existence, although his exuberant 
health and spirits had rather overpowered her. 

Mary shaded the light and turned to collect the gar- 
ments scattered about the room. As she folded the coat, 
giving a little shake to free it from the dust, something 
fell from an inside pocket and she stooped and picked 
it up. Was it necessary for her to remove everything 
from his pockets, she wondered, as well as the purse the 
doctor had laid on the dressing-table. 

She held the long envelope in her hand, oppressed 
with the sense of something strangely familiar in the 
surrounding atmosphere. Her patient's condition de- 
manded her undivided attention. Why, then, should she 
be able to think only of her sister? Why should Chris- 
tine's laces, ribbons, and various unimportant articles 
of apparel be uppermost in her mind? 

Leigh stirred uneasily, but she stood absorbed, his 
coat over her arm and the hand holding the papers 
hanging listlessly at her side. Suddenly she raised the 
envelope, looked at it with startled eyes, and held it to 
her nose. Yes, it was there. The subtle, penetrating 
odor which Christine loved and she considered sicken- 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 269 

ing ; the curious mixture of sachet powders the younger 
girl had learned from an old Frenchwoman, and in the 
possession of which secret she exulted openly, triumph- 
ing in the individuality of her perfume. 

Mary felt in the coat-pocket and drew out a handker- 
chief. It w r as possible the Frenchwoman had given her 
receipt to more than one person. The handkerchief, 
however, was guiltless of scent of any kind, and she 
returned it regretfully. 

Why did the envelope seem familiar? She bent over 
it and laboriously examined the one word, blurred and 
indistinct. 

T> _ >> 

xv-o-o 

Suddenly she paused. She remembered the night of 
Mr. Marks 's first visit to Christine, the white hyacinths 
and the package flung impatiently aside unopened after 
the first three letters were spelled out and never again 
mentioned. The nurse forgot her duty to her patient 
in her realization of her duty to her sister, and opened 
the envelope. 



270 THE WIFE OF 



XXVIII 



THE downward path is very easy to travel. No effort 
is required for steady progress, and the way is so broad 
and free from obstacles that insensibly the pace increases 
until it is impossible to halt, for one must keep moving 
rapidly if he would not be trampled by the feet rushing 
on behind. 

Consequently the traveller, flying breathlessly along, 
arrives before he realizes it in the quicksand awaiting 
him at the bottom of the hill, struggles ineffectually to 
free himself, and looks with terrified eyes upon the 
ending of the road. 

Colonel St. John, seated beside the watchman's table 
in the Department of State, felt the closing of the quick- 
sand and knew he had reached the termination of the 
path. Heretofore he had successfully managed to elude 
justice whenever necessary, but this time he realized 
any effort would be futile and had not courage to 
attempt it. 

It was very silent in the great building as he looked 
through the long corridor with its row of lights pendent 
from the ceiling, spaced, he thought, in such a manner 
as merely to accentuate the gloom. Here and there in 
the distance a lower light shone more brightly beside 
a watchman's table; he felt grateful for human com- 
panionship, but was not popular with his associates, and 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 271 

they rarely approached him for the desultory inter- 
course with which they enlivened their waking hours. 

Colonel St. John felt no inclination for sleep. He 
leaned his head against the wall and wondered idly 
whether he would be there another night, or whether 
he wold repose at the police station, or He did not 
dwell on the last thought. 

By this time Count Valdmir would surely have opened 
the package of papers. He recalled his own sensations 
when he unfastened them and spread them out on the 
table in the Octagon House. The envelope he had 
pounced upon with such avidity had been filled with 
blank papers carefully folded and labelled. 

Colonel St. John remembered how he had procured 
them. He had not been on duty at the Department that 
night, but had worked late at the Octagon House and 
finally started for Jackson City through the old garden, 
with the intention of making use of the gap in the wall. 
The night was cold and Jackson City seemed a long dis- 
tance away, so he had fortified himself by repeated 
applications of his lips to a square black bottle, kept 
carefully concealed from inquisitive eyes in his coat- 
pocket. 

Just at the gap in the wall he had encountered a tall 
figure, which seemed to his fevered imagination 
strangely like Lyndhurst, and Lyndhurst was hunting 
him as a bloodhound tracks its prey. The figure paused 
just inside the wall and he had instinctively stooped and 
picked up a brick. He saw again the red light which 
had leaped to his eyes and his stealthy advance with 
raised arm. 

Colonel St. John, sick at heart in his watchman's 
chair, remembered the discovery that his victim was not 



272 THE WIFE OF 

Lyndhurst, and the slow dragging of the inanimate form 
across the garden and up the stairs. He was very heavy, 
and the old man had been exhausted upon reaching his 
room. He had put the mattress from his cot on the 
floor in the little inner room and laid the figure on it, 
applying such slight remedies as he had on hand, 
loosened his collar, and in doing so turned back his coat. 
In the inside pocket was a long envelope clearly labelled 
" Roostchook." 

A day or so passed, and the man he had hit with a 
brick grew feverish and restless. He understood quite 
clearly what might happen if he died; then had come 
the temptation to make use of the subterranean passage ; 
also the memory of the Octoroon safely walled up in the 
cellar. Another ghost more or less would not affect the 
reputation of the old house. 

Then he had felt the overwhelming desire to leave 
America. He was rich in the unexpected possession of 
his daughter and independent as far as money was con- 
cerned. She would, he was convinced, pay well for 
silence, and he could quietly depart, leaving his work 
for Count Valdmir unfinished. 

Colonel St. John thought he understood the Russian. 
He had often before in his career seen a man in love 
with a woman, although he, himself, had never suc- 
cumbed so completely as to sympathize with ths situa- 
tion. Then had come the suspicion that he was under 
surveillance, the frantic desire for immediate escape, 
and the attempt to pass off the blank papers on Count 
Valdmir. The bluff worked successfully, but he had 
not dared attempt to leave the city as he had planned. 
Sooner or later the Russian would open the package. 
Probably he had done so by this time, and then 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 273 

Colonel St. John moved restlessly. How still it was. 
He counted the black and white squares on the floor of 
the corridor as far as his eye could reach, and aimlessly 
switched on and off his light. He thought of Count 
Valdmir, and his hand clinched as he recalled the Rus- 
sian's contemptuous attitude towards him and relentless 
demand for his services. Well, he had worked for his 
freedom. In his room at the Octagon House were piles 
of completed tracings showing all the outlying defences 
of the principal seaports of the country. Some of them 
had been difficult to procure, but he had finally suc- 
ceeded in one way or another, and to-morrow he was 
to deliver them to his employer. 

The moments dragged slowly. Eleven twelve. It 
was a long time yet before morning; many hours in 
which to speculate upon the events of to-morrow and 
to arrange his plans for the day. Somewhere out of 
sight a watchman laughed, waking clamorous echoes and 
reverberations. Colonel St. John sprang to his feet and 
stood at bay, his back against the wall, then dropped 
weakly into his chair. 

" I've gone to pieces," he muttered dejectedly, " all 
to pieces." 

He thought suddenly of David Leigh, ill, perhaps 
dying, on the floor of the Octagon House. Would it be 
murder in the first degree? What should he do with 
the body? Colonel St. John gasped and loosened his 
collar. 

An irresistible impulse led him to open the large 
doors and look out into the night. His post of duty 
had lately been changed from the second to the first 
floor, and he was stationed by the south entrance. The 
moon shone whitely, bathing Washington in its en- 

18 



274 THE WIFE OF 

chanted light, but he looked at it unmoved. He had 
often seen the moon before. The smoke of a train cross- 
ing the Potomac rose black against the horizon, and the 
old man caught his breath as he watched it fade away. 

There was a chance, a mere chance. He would try 
it. Just as he was, hatless and without an overcoat, he 
would make his way to Jackson City. There was money 
in the box in his room there. Not much, perhaps, but 
it would do, and he would again evade the law. Once 
in a place of safety, Estelle should send him plenty 
more. 

He looked sharply about for the shadow which had 
darkened his pathway of late, but observed only the 
shadows cast by the pillars of the portico upon which he 
stood. Evidently he was safe until morning at least. 

With a hasty, decisive motion Colonel St. John softly 
closed the door of the State Department and started 
in the direction of the Potomac. 

It was very cold. The night wind seemed to go 
through his bones. At the curve of the ellipse he 
paused ; it was possible the type of cab known as night- 
hawk might be prowling in the vicinity. Such a cab 
would drive him across the river and ask no questions 
en route, so he looked anxiously about. 

Behind him stood the Department of State, with its 
manifold official secrets; at his left was the White 
House, perhaps also containing private affairs of its 
own; before him flowed the Potomac, and beyond was 
Jackson City, both, no doubt, covering many an un- 
known tragedy; at his right was the street leading to 
the Octagon House, a short square distant, with perhaps 
another mystery now inside its walls. 

Colonel St. John shivered from the cold within as 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 275 

well as without as he looked up the silent street. Was 
Leigh living or dead? He had seemed to the old man 
very ill that night. Involuntarily he moved a few steps 
to the right ; he wished to know what to expect. 

A cloud drifted across the face of the moon, and far 
in the distance he heard the whistle of an approaching 
train. He must hurry if he would reach Jackson City, 
return to the railway station, and leave Washington by 
daylight. 

" Cab, suh, cab?" 

It was one of the worst specimens of its kind, but the 
old man did not look at it. His eyes were fixed on the 
lamp-post marking the street at his right and his hands 
were stretched out before him as by one who walks in 
the dark. 

" Cab, suh?" 

The driver waited a moment, then drove off, the 
sound of the retreating wheels gradually dying away in 
the distance as Colonel St. John turned his back on the 
Potomac and hastened towards the Octagon House. He 
walked as one without volition of his own, with white, 
set face and automatic movement. 

Along the quiet street he hurried, encountering no 
one, turned down the alley, and reached the broken wall, 
where he paused. Here he had stood that other night 
when the figure passed him; here was the very brick 
he had used, lying apart from its fellows as though 
ostracized for its cowardly deed. 

Colonel St. John stooped and picked it up, but 
dropped it immediately as though it burned his hand. 
A man might meet death through his indirect instru- 
mentality; such an occurrence was not unknown in his 
career. It was, however, a different matter to be asso- 



276 THE WIFE OF 

elated with the sordid details of the episode, and he 
recoiled from personal contact with the instrument 
employed. 

The house was dark and forbidding in comparison 
with the surrounding whiteness of the snow-covered 
garden and moonlight-flooded sky. It stood grim and 
silent, an irresistible magnet drawing him steadily, un- 
willingly onward. Now his hand was on the latch of the 
back door ; now he was in the hall ; up he must go up 
to find what ? 

He groped his way towards the stairs, but half way 
across the hall turned with a sudden revulsion of feel- 
ing. He was a fool a fool. He must hurry, for the 
night was passing and Jackson City still unachieved. 

Colonel St. John, shaking with the penetrating cold 
of the old house and with that inner chill, put his hands 
over his ears to shut out he knew not what, and made 
an unsteady dash in the darkness for the front door. 
Almost on the threshold he tripped and fell headlong, 
and his face was buried in the mattress the Redmond 
servants had thrust inside the door a few hours previous, 
when Leigh was removed. 

Quivering in every nerve, the old man lay motionless, 
his heart thumping painfully and his body shrinking 
from the unknown which threatened from the surround- 
ing darkness. 

Gradually, however, he grew calmer and passed his 
hands wonderingly over the mattress, with a dim sense 
of recognition ; a rip in one side greeted him familiarly. 
Colonel St. John sat upright and felt for his matches, 
struck one, and gazed at the prosaic ticking by its uncer- 
tain light. With a smothered exclamation he made his 
way across the hall and mounted the stairs with the 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 277 

agility of a younger man, holding tightly to the banister, 
as though the contact of the unyielding wood imparted 
courage. 

On the landing he paused. The caretaker's door stood 
wide open and that other door was open also. He could 
see the kerosene-stove now, burned low, and burdening 
the air with its aroma, for life in such stoves dies hard. 
There was his table with its unfinished sketch; he ad- 
vanced reluctantly, again obeying the mysterious force 
he had no power to withstand, and stood before the inner 
door. Here was the chair with the pitcher of water and 
the few remedies he had ventured to apply; evidently 
it had been pushed aside carelessly, for the bottles had 
fallen over and the water was spilled upon the floor; 
here was the corner where the mattress had rested 
empty now and uncommunicative indeed; and here on 
the floor at his feet lay a man 's glove. 

" Dead," he said slowly, " and removed by the 
authorities. Dead ! ' ' 

He picked up the glove and examined it in the failing 
light. It was fresh and of good quality, such a glove 
as a gentleman would wear. At last he turned it inside 
out and bent to decipher the maker's name. Colonel 
St. John was obliged to resort to his glasses, for the 
marking was indistinct, but very slowly he spelled it 
out, letter by letter. It bore the stamp of a well-known 
English house. 

The old man's knees gave way and he sank upon the 
floor beside the chair. 

" Lyndhurst!" he gasped, " Lyndhurst!" 

The stove spluttered and went out. Through a chink 
high up on the broken shutter the moon sent a pale ray 
which reached the wall opposite, softening its dingy cov- 



278 THE WIFE OF 

ering into pearly whiteness, and making a narrow path 
of light across the dusty floor. It fell upon the broken 
chair and touched gently the gray head resting there 
among the bottles. The hand grasping the glove was in 
the shadow and the face turned towards the light was 
lined and haggard, but the eyes were closed and the 
exhausted faculties mercifully at rest, for Colonel St. 
John had fainted. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 279 



XXIX 



IT was well known in the political world that the 
Hon. Charles Rivers and the Hon. Joshua Grimes were 
apt to clash when brought into contact upon any subject 
whatever, be it trivial or important. Indeed, it was 
said that did the Member from Virginia arise to make a 
statement upon the floor of the House, the Member from 
South Dakota immediately rose also and flatly contra- 
dicted it, whether he was conversant with the subject 
or not, thus adding a piquancy to the sessions of that 
august body of lawmakers much enjoyed by its members. 

Mr. Rivers clothed himself in superiority and sar- 
casm, in both of which weapons he was an adept; Mr. 
Grimes launched forth in invective and ridicule, and 
was frequently rewarded by laughter and applause from 
the public gallery, upon which despised spot his adver- 
sary turned an immaculate and contemptuous back. 

The engagement of Mr. Rivers to Isabel Byrd had 
been what Mr. Grimes described as " a bitter pill to 
swallow," as he felt for that young woman a paternal 
affection and more than usual interest. Having no 
children of his own, he was apt to look with covetous 
eyes upon the more fortunate, and one of his frequent 
diversions was to cast his appraising eye about the youth 
of his acquaintance and select from among them such 
girls and young men as he thought would make up a 
creditable family. 



280 THE WIFE OF 

Needless to say, this imaginary family was subject to 
constant change, and its members were frequently de- 
posed by some unwitting speech or act. 

" No child of mine could do that," he would reflect 
angrily, and forthwith disown him or her forever. 

Isabel, however, had steadily held her position as 
favorite daughter for many years; he had watched her 
grow up and develop, exulting in her undeniable charm 
and acknowledged success even as her own father had 
gloried in it, and had lately begun to cast around for a 
suitable match. His son-in-law, he decided, should be 
young, handsome, high-principled, and filled with the 
enthusiasm of youth; money was of no consequence, 
as Isabel had plenty of her own, and he intended she 
should have more when he was done with it. So he 
watched and waited, and finally selected David Leigh 
as more nearly meeting the requirements than any young 
fellow of his acquaintance. 

" Though even he," soliloquized Mr. Grimes regret- 
fully, " doesn't quite fill the bill." 

Forthwith he cultivated David assiduously, much to 
the surprise of that unsuspecting youth. 

' ' He must be tempted, ' ' said Mr. Grimes, and brought 
such temptation in his way as he thought proper. David, 
his heart heavy with his own affairs, found no difficulty 
in passing through the ordeal unscathed, and was 
accordingly awarded the prize. 

Therefore, when Mr. Grimes received a pretty little 
note from Isabel announcing her engagement and say- 
ing she " was sure he would be glad to hear it," he cast 
it indignantly from him and burst forth into language 
unprintable. 

" I could have stood anybody else," he said sadly, the 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 281 

first ebullition of wrath subsided, " anybody but that 
sleek, supercilious puppy." 

To-day, however, Mr. Grimes had invited the super- 
cilious puppy to lunch with him at the Metropolitan 
Club. This was in tacit acknowledgment of his own 
surrender to the inevitable and his determination to 
keep on good terms with Isabel's husband as long as 
possible, and Mr. Rivers had accepted the invitation for 
reasons of his own. Therefore the belligerents sat them- 
selves peacefully down before a small, damask-covered 
table and did justice to a thoughtfully selected luncheon, 
carefully avoiding subjects which might involve rocks 
ahead. 

" Try a Havana," said Mr. Grimes hospitably as the 
coffee arrived. 

' ' They are unusually fine, ' ' remarked Mr. Rivers with 
an appreciative puff. 

Then ensued a pause while the ashes accumulated on 
the ends of the Havanas. 

"I'm glad it's the short session," said Mr. Grimes by 
way of introducing a subject for conversation, " and so 
nearly over. One gets tired of the routine business, you 
know. ' ' 

"It is probable," returned Rivers coolly, " that the 
President may call an extra session. He certainly will 
if the Roostchook matter is not settled soon. There may 
be an investigating committee appointed to look into 
the methods of the State Department. In my opinion 
it is time something was done. ' ' 

' ' Nonsense ! ' ' retorted Grimes, forgetting his role of 
placidity and yielding to long-established habit, 
" nothing of the kind." 

Rivers smiled and shook the ashes off the end of his 



282 THE WIFE OF 

cigar with a slow deliberation most exasperating to his 
companion. 

" Oh, of course," he said, " if you think it unneces- 
sary ' ' 

He paused expressively, and Mr. Grimes, as he told 
Senator Byrd later, grew hot around the collar. 

" Unnecessary," he exploded, "by Jove, sir, it would 
be an outrage! I tell you, an outrage! Look at the 
man at the head of the Department of State and then 
talk about investigating committees." 

" Yes," agreed Rivers amicably, " look at him. He's 
getting old. Every man has his day. I don't intend 
to imply anything derogatory to Mr. Redmond, for I 
have the highest regard for him as a man. As a states- 
man, I think he's worn out, if you want to know my 
opinion, and possibly a tool in the hands of the un- 
scrupulous. ' ' 

" Worn out," spluttered Mr. Grimes indignantly, 
* ' worn out, indeed ! You don 't know what you 're talk- 
ing about. Why, John Redmond can be our next Presi- 
dent if he wants to which, being a man of great good 
sense, he probably doesn't. Worn out, indeed! Who 
brought the country through the crisis in Ecuador with- 
out a drop of blood being spilt on either side? Who 
handled the Algerian question? Who 

" Who muddled the Roostchook matter?" finished 
Rivers imperturbably. " Quite so. And let me tell 
you, my friend, it has gone a long way beyond a joke 
in the opinion of the President. I speak in confidence, 
of course, but it is really an open secret. Soon, I think, 
there will be at least one change in the Cabinet. A word 
to the wise is sufficient." 

"I'm a plain man," said the other slowly, " and I 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 283 

like plain speaking. I'm no good at riddles. If you 
have anything to say, speak out ; don 't insinuate every- 
thing and say nothing. It's a nasty habit, and one 
that I'd advise you to break yourself of. What do you 
mean ? ' ' 

Rivers looked into the rapidly purpling face of his 
companion and laughed easily, then leaned forward, 
tapping the table with his fingers authoritatively. 

" Where is the Secretary's secretary?" he said. 

" Where is he?" returned Grimes, decidedly puzzled, 
" why, at his work, of course. Where else should 
he be?" 

"He is not," returned Rivers decidedly, " nor has 
he been for the past week. The Department knows 
nothing of his movements; the place where he lives 
knows nothing; the Secretary professes to know 
nothing. ' ' 

" Young man," interrupted the Member from South 
Dakota, " be careful how you express yourself. You 
are speaking of my friend." 

" Well," said Rivers smoothly, "I'm only telling you 
what I thought would interest you. The general public 
will soon get on to the facts, I think. Mr. Leigh has 
gone ; the Roostchook papers have vanished ; the synop- 
sis of the President 's policy cannot be found. Moreover, 
I have proof." 

" Well, you'll need it," retorted Mr. Grimes grimly, 
" out with it." 

Then Rivers related his story of the Octagon House; 
how he happened in there accidentally and found upon 
the floor a bit of paper with the red, white, and blue 
cord, the few written words, and the incriminating 
initials in the corner. The pocket of Mr. Grimes grew 



284 THE WIFE OF 

suddenly heavy with the weight of a scrap of paper 
picked up at Mrs. Redmond's ball and tied with twisted, 
tri-colored cord. 

" I searched the house, of course," he remarked 
glibly;" it's an eerie old place, by the way. It was 
quite empty, though bearing traces of recent occupation ; 
a half-finished drawing in an upper room indicated an 
intended return. I shall, of course, place my informa- 
tion in the hands of the President ; it is the only course 
open to me, and I fancy it may precipitate matters a bit. 
However, the end was bound to come. ' ' 

"And who," inquired the Member from South 
Dakota, studiously polite, " will be Secretary of State?" 

" That," returned the Member from Virginia, " re- 
mains for the President to decide. He will naturally 
select one in sympathy with the Administration." 

"Ah," remarked Mr. Grimes. 

There was silence for a moment, then Rivers rose and 
remarked he must keep an appointment. 

" It's been an uncommonly interesting hour," he said 
cordially, " and I believe we are beginning to under- 
stand each other at last. We both have the good of the 
country at heart, Mr. Grimes, and I'm glad we have 
arrived at a better appreciation of each other after our 
many differences. They didn't amount to much though, 
after all, did they? And I fancy Miss Byrd won't tol- 
erate them in the future; you stand very high in her 
calendar of friends, you know, and, consequently, I 
want very much to add you to mine." 

The Member from Virginia had a decided charm of 
manner when he chose to exert it, and did not think it 
necessary to refer to the existing estrangement, which 
he believed merely temporary. So he extended his hand 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 285 

as he rose to depart with the smile reserved for special 
occasions. And Mr. Grimes rose also small, stout, red- 
faced, and scowling. His hands were thrust deep down 
in his pockets and his short legs planted far apart. 

" The understanding's all right," he said decidedly, 
' ' perhaps even more so than you realize. I don 't know 
why you have seen fit to honor me with these extraor- 
dinary revelations our relations are not exactly confi- 
dential, you know. I see your drift, of course, and I 
see the trend of affairs worse luck. But as to the story 
you told me about Leigh and your disinterested devotion 
to the country, why, it's due to you as well as myself to 
tell you plainly that I don't believe a word of it. And 
so, sir, if you have finished your lunch, I will say good- 
afternoon." 

With which concluding remark Mr. Grimes strode 
away with as much dignity as his adipose tissue per- 
mitted, leaving the Member from Virginia to digest his 
words with his lunch, and get what nourishment he 
could from both. 

Seething with righteous indignation, Mr. Grimes pro- 
ceeded to the Department of State and inquired for Mr. 
Leigh. Mr. Leigh was absent, the messenger replied, 
and the date of his return was uncertain. Then, could 
he not see the Secretary himself? The messenger re- 
gretted that the Secretary was indisposed and not at 
the Department to-day. Mr. Leigh's house address; 
perhaps they would oblige him with it, as his business 
was important. 

The messenger would inquire of the Chief Clerk ; 
probably he knew it. He came back presently with a 
number written on a slip of paper and the gratuitous 
information that Mr. Leigh was out of the city, and 



286 THE WIFE OF 

therefore any visit to his lodgings would be without 
result. 

Nevertheless, Mr. Grimes repaired without delay to 
Mrs. Colson's domicile and inquired for the lady of the 
house, who was much excited by the receipt of the card 
of a Member of Congress, and had visions of renting an 
entire suite at an exorbitant price as she ran her side- 
combs through her hair and wished she had put on her 
black silk. 

' ' Madam, ' ' said Mr. Grimes abruptly, ' ' I understand 
Mr. Leigh has a room here. ' ' 

Mrs. Colson collapsed into a chair, her dreams of ex- 
pensive suites rapidly evaporating. 

" Mr. Leigh did have a room here," she faltered, 
" but now 

" Well," said Mr. Grimes irritably, " well, Madam, 
has he moved?" 

Mrs. Colson clasped her hands and raised her eyes to 
the ceiling after the manner of a picture in her bedroom 
she much admired entitled, " Simply to Thy Cross I 
Cling." 

"Ah," she said, sighing heavily, " Mr. Leigh has 
moved indeed, and to a higher sphere." 

Mr. Grimes sat upright in startled silence as she 
applied the edge of a stiffly starched handkerchief to 
her nose and chafed it delicately. 

' ' When is the funeral ? ' ' inquired the Member of 
Congress in a hushed whisper. 

" Sir," said Mrs. Colson with dignity, " there has 
been no funeral, nor will there be. I spoke to you from 
the dictates of my own heart and not from the mundane 
evidence of facts. I believe that the unhappy young 
man " 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 287 

" Madam," interrupted the Member of Congress, " it 
is facts I am after. It is of no consequence which way 
your heart dictates. Does Mr. Leigh retain his room 
with you ? That is what I want to know. ' ' 

Mrs. Colson hesitated, coughed in an embarrassed 
manner, and finally faltered that while he had not given 
it up, yet he had been absent a week now without lug- 
gage of any sort, and no one knew anything about him. 
It was natural to suppose him dead. She was a poor 
widow, and In short, it was the first of the month 
and Mr. Leigh's board was overdue; she felt it her 
duty, much as she liked the unhappy young man, to 
reimburse herself by disposing of his effects very shortly 
and finding another tenant for the room. 

" Painful as such a course would be to one of my 
natural refinement," she continued with a deep sigh, " I 
feel I can no longer hesitate. The widow, sir, who 
struggles for her daily bread cannot follow the course 
her gentle birth would counsel, she must provide for 
the future." 

"Just so," said Mr. Grimes concisely, taking out his 
purse; " now, how much did he owe for this precious 
room?" 

Mrs. Colson unhesitatingly named a price ten dollars 
in excess of the actual amount and watched the Con- 
gressman count out the bills one by one, while she 
wiped her eyes with the immaculate handkerchief. 

" Now," said that gentleman, handing over the 
money, " I engage that room, furnished just as it is, 
with nothing touched or moved, to use when I feel in- 
clined and to let stand empty if I choose. And I desire 
to take immediate possession. Will you kindly show 
the way?" 



288 THE WIFE OF 

Mrs. Colson said afterwards, when relating the inci- 
dent to Miss Jackson, that she supposed she ought to 
have waited until she looked him up in the Congres- 
sional Directory, but really he was such a domineering 
old man and had such a decided way about him that 
before she knew it she had escorted him up into the 
north room and left him there alone. 

"And you know," she added plaintively, " we might 
have all been murdered in our beds. ' ' 

And Miss Jackson had replied reflectively that she 
would very much like to have a look at him. Perhaps 
he was a millionaire uncle of Mr. Leigh's, or perhaps a 
bank burglar hiding from justice. Anything was pos- 
sible in these days. 

Alone in David's little room the Member of Congress 
began a systematic search for any paper or letter which 
might throw light upon his mysterious disappearance. 

" I don't like to pry into his private affairs," he 
muttered as he sat down before the desk, " but some- 
body's got to look after him." 

The Member of Congress hesitated to turn the key 
which stood ready in the lock, and fell into a brown 
study in the uncomfortable little chair, several sizes too 
small for him. At last he roused himself abruptly. 

" Rivers, Secretary of State," he said, as he opened 
the desk ; ' ' not if Joshua Grimes is as smart as he used 
to be. Now, my boy, we'll see." 

But he found nothing he could regard as a clue to 
Leigh's disappearance, and finally took up a newspaper 
which lay on the floor, apparently undisturbed since it 
had been flung aside. It bore the date of December 
26th, and one spot was creased and rumpled as though 
crushed by an impatient hand. Carefully adjusting his 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 289 

glasses, Mr. Grimes read the items of the society column 
so unkindly treated and found there the bald state- 
ment that Senator Byrd announced the engagement of 
his daughter Isabel to the Hon. Charles Rivers, Member 
of Congress from Virginia. 

Mr. Grimes smoothed out and carefully folded the 
paper, then returned to the desk before him. Opening 
a little drawer he had overlooked in his previous re- 
search, he discovered a package of notes, addressed in 
a hand with which he himself was quite familiar as 
well as with the coat-of-arms upon the seal; beside the 
notes was a faded rose and beneath them both a white 
glove, carefully folded and laid away. 

The Member from South Dakota shut the little 
drawer with remorseful haste; he felt he had in some 
way desecrated a shrine. 

'The poor lad!" he ejaculated, softly, "the poor 
lad!" 



10 



290 THE WIFE OF 



XXX 



WITH the dawn of morning came returning conscious- 
ness to Colonel St. John. 

He raised his head and looked with dazed, bewildered 
eyes at the chair with its few dingy bottles, at the stove, 
now cold and odorless, and at the glove still clinched 
in his hand. His first sensation was one of physical 
discomfort as he stretched out his fingers, moving them 
with difficulty, for they were numb with the cold. There 
was a strange, light feeling in his head, while a heavy 
weight seemed to have settled upon his chest. Had he 
been ill? 

The glove fell from his nerveless hand, and he picked 
it up stiffly, looking absently about for its mate. The 
sight of it was distasteful to him. He wondered why ; 
it was a very ordinary glove. 

He felt dimly that something was lacking from the 
bare little room; something had vanished which should 
have been present, and shrank from the emptiness, op- 
pressed by the heaviness of space. Why was he on the 
floor? 

Colonel St. John struggled to rise and essayed to walk, 
but his feet seemed reluctant to perform their duty and 
he tottered uncertainly, catching at the wall to preserve 
his balance. He must hurry, that thought was para- 
mount, for he was going somewhere and it was time he 
was off. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 291 

Resting his forehead against the window-pane, thick 
with the dust of many seasons, he looked through the 
broken shutter out into the dull gray of the winter's 
morning. Far in the distance across the Mall he saw 
the black smoke curling upward from an engine cross- 
ing the Potomac. Why, certainly, he knew now. He 
was going away somewhere. He must hurry or he would 
be too late. His hat and coat where were they? He 
must hasten. 

Stumbling blindly forward, he made his way into the 
hall and down the stairs, clutching at the banisters for 
support and making all possible speed. 

"I'll be late," he said, "late. The train won't 
wait." 

Suddenly he paused, with shaking knees and ashen 
face. Directly in his path lay the mattress. He recog- 
nized the rip in the side, and with recognition came a 
flood of memory, unwelcome, obtrusive, and overwhelm- 
ing. The old man stood as one petrified. At last he 
raised his hand and pointed a trembling finger at the 
mattress at his feet. 

" It's empty," he cried shrilly, " empty." 

And the house reverberated with the sound of his 
voice. 

" Empty," returned the rooms and passages of the 
lower floor. 

' ' Empty, ' ' echoed down the stairway from the vacant 
space above. 

Colonel St. John uttered an inarticulate sound and 
fled up the stairs, away from the mattress with its un- 
pleasant suggestiveness. At the entrance to his room 
he stepped upon something soft and recoiled violently. 
It was only the glove he had dropped as he started to 



292 THE WIFE OF 

leave the house Lyndhurst's glove. He remembered 
it now. 

" Broad day," he said as the sun cast a sickly ray 
through the broken shutter, " broad day, and no doubt 
a watch set upon the house." 

The old man sank into the chair beside the table and 
rested his head upon the unfinished drawing. Now and 
then he shivered and glanced towards the daylight and 
freedom outside the dusty glass. 

For a long time he sat motionless, * oblivious to the 
gradually increasing cold. He entertained no doubt 
that Leigh was dead and the punishment for murder 
was hanging. Colonel St. John felt in his pocket and 
produced a small vial, removed the cork, and sniffed 
at the contents. It was nearly full. Had he the 
strength to put it to his lips? Very slowly he replaced 
the cork and returned the vial to his pocket. It is when 
life is most filled with darkness and terror that mankind 
appears to cling to it most tenaciously, perhaps through 
some idea of future reparation, perhaps through dread 
of the unknown. 

The day wore on. Colonel St. John felt the chill and 
cold of the place reaching his heart and looked long- 
ingly at the kerosene-stove and the full oil-can in the 
corner. Dared he light it? 

" It smells," he said, seeking some other means of 
warmth ; ' ' the damn thing smells. ' ' 

Wrapping himself in a blanket from the cot, he waited 
for the day to pass. His watch had stopped and he had 
no means of marking the time, but each minute seemed 
a lifetime and the hours spread themselves into eternity. 
Was this a day? 

It chanced that no curious visitors investigated the 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 293 

old house, and he thought resentfully that it must there- 
fore surely be under police surveillance. 

Sooner or later he must be discovered, or die from 
cold and starvation. Colonel St. John again felt in his 
pocket and his fingers touched the small vial, lingering 
thoughtfully a moment, and were then rapidly with- 
drawn. 

It is given to some men to drink of the cup of dissi- 
pation while it bubbles with pleasure, sparkles with 
brilliancy, and intoxicates with the exhilaration of suc- 
cess, then to pause and watch the bubbles fade, the 
sparkle disappear, and the exhilaration pass away, 
leaving in its place flatness and a distaste for further 
draughts of like character. Others, however, drink 
thirstily, draining it to the last drop and finding in its 
bitter dregs the fire of sorrow and the ashes of humil- 
iation. 

Colonel St. John, dumbly expecting he knew not what, 
realized he had reached the bottom of the cup and cursed 
the day he raised it to his lips. 

He did more. He cursed the life he had lived and 
the life to come; the father who begot him and the 
mother who gave him birth. He cursed the day he came 
to America, the night Count Valdmir sought him at 
Jackson City, and the work he had done for the Russian 
since that date. It was he who held him Albert St. 
John in a grip of iron, and who had indirectly brought 
about the impending crisis. The old man looked at his 
shaking hand and wished it might have withered before 
it drew the plans his master demanded. 

Suddenly he paused, and his lip lifted in an unpleas- 
ant smile. Opening a drawer in the table he produced 
them, one after another. To-day he was to have deliv- 



294 THE WIFE OF 

ered them. Eapidly he looked them over; they were 
complete in every detail except the one upon the table 
yet unfinished, and which he added to the collection, 
tearing it from beneath the thumb tacks viciously, as 
though anxious to deface it as much as possible. 

Colonel St. John, the bundle under his arm, again 
sought the lower floor, going down deeper still, into the 
basement, with its brick vaults, and into the old kitchen, 
with the great stone fireplace occupying one end and 
looking capable of generous hospitality had it been so 
disposed. 

In the fireplace he deposited his burden, checking the 
papers off one by one with satisfaction. They com- 
prised the defences of the principal seaports of the 
country and were traced with no small skill and accu- 
racy. There were also papers of explanation accom- 
panying them and other data of importance to the Gov- 
ernment. 

He produced a match and struck it on the hearth- 
stone ; it flickered and would not burn ; but- he struck 
another, shielding it with his hand and nursing the flame 
carefully, for it was his last. The match flamed up 
quickly and went out, leaving the cellar dark and 
clammy with the penetrating damp. 

Back again, up the stairs to his room. He would get 
another match. So full of one idea was the old man 
that he almost forgot the reason for the act or the 
motive actuating the desire for revenge upon Count 
Valdmir, but the sight of the mattress in the lower hall 
again brought with it the flood of memory. 

It was murder for which he was being hunted, and the 
punishment was hanging. 

Colonel St. John forgot the papers in the fireplace; 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 295 

forgot Count Valdmir and the desire for revenge, re- 
membering only David Leigh and Lyndhurst. Lynd- 
hurst, who had that other life also checked against him, 
and who had left his glove in token that he would 
return. 

Faint and sick from cold and lack of food, Colonel 
St. John cowered beneath the blanket and watched the 
fading of the light through the broken shutter. Now 
and then a board creaked loudly and he shrank further 
into the corner, expecting the opening of the door ; now 
and then a rat ran across the attic overhead, squealing 
in angry dispute with its fellows; and now and then 
came other sounds faint rustlings and indistinct mur- 
murs like the sighing of the wind. 

"A rat in a trap," he said, " taken like vermin to 
be exterminated." 

He felt for the little vial and drew it out. 

The light grew dimmer and failed entirely. Another 
day gone ; another night arrived. 

" Die like a man," counselled an inner voice, " not 
like a felon. It's got to come. Die like a man." 

" It's got to come," he repeated. 

The end of all things, the leap in the dark; the put- 
ting away of mortality and assuming immortality. Yes, 
it had to come. It had come through him to David 
Leigh and to Hertford. 

It had also come, strangely, mysteriously, with in- 
credible swiftness to another a woman. There had 
been a vacancy in the harem of the Khedive and no 
questions asked. A favorite had vanished such things 
had happened before; Colonel St. John had vanished 
also, taking with him the opals. The game had been 
d;i 11 serous and the price high. 



296 THE WIFE OF 

Well, since it came some time or other to everyone, 
why should a little sooner or later matter? And Hert- 
ford did it himself with a pistol. Colonel St. John 
wished he had a pistol. It was so soon over. 

" Like a man," he said, raising the vial. " I was a 
man once." 

The little bottle fell to the floor with a splintering of 
glass as Colonel St. John drew the blanket closer and 
prepared to wait. 

There were noises again, but they did not trouble 
him; the boards creaked and the rats squealed unob- 
served, for out of the darkness shadowy figures ap- 
proached and bent over him, the room was alive with 
voices long silent, and Colonel St. John listened to them 
dreamily. They were very welcome, and he tried to tell 
them so, but they did not seem to hear him. His head 
swam and his limbs felt numb. 

' ' I believe, ' ' he said politely, " it 's very rude, I know, 
but I believe I will take a nap." 

The night crept on. Again the moon rose and flooded 
the city with its white light. In the midst of the old 
garden a figure stood irresolute a woman, who held 
her cloak tightly, clutching it convulsively, as though 
she found comfort in its warmth and wished to wrap 
it even closer around her slender form. Now and then 
she advanced a few steps with many an apprehensive 
glance towards the upper windows of the grim old 
house. At last the garden was crossed and she put a 
trembling hand upon the rusty latch. 

At the same instant the front door opened and shut 
with a quick decision very different from the hesitating 
creaking of the hinges of its companion in the rear. 

The odor of cigar-smoke filled the hall and a man's 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 297 

voice muttered something as he paused to strike a match. 
The woman leaned against the wall, her hands extended 
in the darkness. 

"I'm too late," she said, " too late." 

Suddenly she gathered her skirts together, set her 
teeth firmly, and began the ascent of the old back stairs, 
feeling her way timidly, but moving swiftly with the 
decision of definite purpose. 

It was a race now between the man and woman, for 
he also walked with the directness of one familiar with 
the objective point, up the front stairs, past the window 
on the landing looking out over the moonlit garden, past 
the second floor, with its open doors leading into vacant 
rooms eloquent in their silence, and up again to the 
third floor. Upon the landing he paused, for his quick 
ears caught a sound unexpected and apparently discon- 
certing, and the hand extended towards the caretaker's 
door hesitated as he drew farther into the shadow. 

She had reached the top now, and stepped out into 
the upper hall with a gasp of mingled fear and relief. 
The darkness of the back stairs had been black indeed, 
and light of any kind was preferable. The hood of her 
cloak had fallen back and a ray of moonlight shone upon 
her upturned face, steadfast in its purpose and pitiful 
in its unconscious appeal. It touched the flashing jewel 
in her hair, her brow, her cheeks, her quivering lips, 
but left in the shadow of the black lashes blue eyes dark 
with pain and misty with unshed tears. 

" Estelle," he cried, " you? Here alone. What does 
this mean?" 

"Ah," she said, " it was you. I did not know. I 
heard someone. ' ' 

" What are you doing here?" he repeated. 



298 THE WIFE OF 

" I came," she replied, indicating the inner room by 
a motion of her hand, ' ' to bring him money, to help him 
get away. I waited until night because the darkness 
was safer for him." 

" You are in evening dress?" 

' ' I came from the British Embassy, ' ' she said simply, 
" I went there to-night alone; it was easy to get away, 
and required no explanations. But you why are you 
here?" 

His face darkened ominously. 

" I came," he said grimly, " to threaten. He has 
tricked me with a bundle of useless papers, and has in 
his possession others of value to me. I came to claim 
my property." 

The caretaker's door swung slowly open, propelled by 
an invisible force. Back it went, back against the wall, 
exposing the bare little room with the figure of the old 
man wrapped in his quilt upon the floor. 

With an irrepressible shudder Estelle clutched the 
Russian's arm. 

" Who opened it?" she whispered, " who opened 
it?" 

Colonel St. John stirred uneasily. He felt he must, 
for some reason, make an effort, so he opened his eyes 
unwillingly and did not at once close them. The room 
was lighted by a candle, and he even thought he detected 
the odor of a kerosene-stove, but he was in Berlin at his 
salon, so that was impossible. Count Valdmir had pro- 
duced the candle and endeavored to induce the stove to 
burn, but such details mattered not to Colonel St. John. 
He must greet the lady in the shining satin gown. 

' ' How do you do, Madame, ' ' he remarked feebly, ' ' I 
am delighted you were able to be with us." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 299 

" Father," she cried, " don't you know me? It's 
Estelle." 

" Estelle?" he repeated vaguely, " yes, Estelle." 

Then he suddenly sat upright and clutched her hand. 

" I must get away," he said rapidly, " clear away. 
Estelle, my dear, it's murder. For God's sake help me. 
Give me money. It's murder, I tell you murder, and 
a St. John was never hung." 

" No, father, no," she said soothingly, "he is alive. 
Mr. Leigh is not dead, but he's very ill. I've come to 
bring you money and to help you. ' ' 

His features contracted and he fell back helpless. 

" The pain," he gasped, " the pain. I'm dying, 
Estelle, dying." 

" Quick," she said imperatively over her shoulder, 
' ' a doctor ; I must have a doctor. ' ' 

But Count Valdmir shook his head. He held in his 
hand the fragments of the broken vial, upon one of 
which the label was distinct. m 

1 Too late," he said quietly, " the poison has done 
its work and all the doctors in the universe could not 
help him now. In a few minutes the paroxysm will be 
over and he will not suffer. By and by they will be 
more frequent, his mind will wander, and then will 
come the end. ' ' 

"And I came to warn him," she said bitterly, " to 
help him too late; like all my good deeds too late. 
Bring a doctor, I demand it. He may be able to give 
some relief." 

But the Russian did not move. 

' I know the poison well, ' ' he returned coolly ; "I 
have seen men die of it before. I will not leave you to 
fetch a doctor here ; I will not have you associated with 



300 THE WIFE OF 

this scandal. See, he is better. He wants to speak with 
you." 

She knelt upon the floor and pressed the gray head 
to her breast; quite suddenly she remembered some 
childish ailment when he had carried her, restless and 
feverish, from room to room, soothing and cheering her 
with the patience of a woman. 

" Father," she said, " father." 

" I drank it," he said eagerly, " I wanted to die like 
a man, Estelle like a man." 

" Yes," she replied brokenly, " yes." 

" You'll be safe from me in future," he continued, 
" quite safe, Estelle. I have not been a good father. 
But I was proud of you, my dear." 

He paused and his eye fell upon the Russian, who ad- 
vanced slowly. 

" Is that Count Valdmir?" he demanded. " Have 
nothing to do with him, Estelle. He 's a dangerous man 
hard and cruel. He 's brought me to this ; he '11 bring 
you to worse. In Russia there are women 

Again his features contracted and he sank back with 
a groan. Count Valdmir bent over him and put his 
finger on his wrist. 

" The pulse is weak," he remarked, " his eyes are 
dim. He will not suffer much more." 

" Estelle," whispered the old man faintly, " he must 
not have them, the papers ; I put them are you there, 
Estelle ? the plans of fortifications, you know. He shall 
not have them, I put them 

" Yes," she said anxiously, " yes, father, where?" 

" The old fireplace," he gasped, " in the basement. 
The match went out ah, the pain!" 

"It is over," she said sadly. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 301 

But the heavy lids lifted again and the eyes stared 
fixedly at the naming opal at her throat. 

" The price of blood," he cried, raising a shaking 
hand, " the price of blood. Take them off! take them 
off!" 

Instinctively her hand covered the jewel and she 
shrank back alarmed. As she did so Colonel St. John 
sat upright and assumed the attitude of one who ad- 
dresses a large assembly. 

"Awful fool," he said with his best society manner; 
" had a life and made a mess of it. Damn fool won't 
do it again." 

He paused and smiled in a conciliatory manner. 

" I apologize," he said. " Done a lot of mischief. 
Made a lot of trouble. Quiet now I apologize." 

The Russian darted forward and caught the swaying 
body. 

" It is the end, ' ' he said gently. 



302 THE WIFE OF 



XXXI 



THE passing of a soul is fraught with mystery. 
Before it the callous stand silent and abashed, the reck- 
less pause with involuntary awe, the timid shrink with 
sinking hearts, and all unite in a moment of breathless 
apprehension, wondering when they in turn shall pass 
into the darkness of the great Beyond. 

And what has gone? The form of man remains; 
motionless certainly, but then are not the sleeping quiet ? 
Therefore, why approach reluctantly? It is the same 
for whom, a brief moment ago, we felt affection or dis- 
like, admiration or pity, respect or contempt. The 
same, yet not the same. King Death reigns supreme in 
his impenetrable silence, and the children of men abase 
themselves before him. 

So Count Valdmir bared his head respectfully before 
Colonel St. John, as though acknowledging the presence 
of his superior. 

Overhead in the attic the rats held high carnival ; 
outside the wind swept across the snow-covered garden 
and around the corners of the house, shaking the win- 
dow-frames and causing strange, whispering noises to 
echo down the chimneys and through the vacant halls; 
and in the bare little upper room the man and woman 
stood speechless before IT. 

" Come," he said gently at last, " we must go." 

But Mrs. Redmond did not answer. She was on her 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 303 

knees, chafing the hands which grew cold beneath her 
touch. 

" Come," he repeated, " you can do no good." 

She rose reluctantly, while he bent over the inanimate 
form and removed the contents of the pockets. They 
held only a few unimportant letters and a shabby leather 
case, which he opened. 

" This," he said gently, " belongs to you." 

Estelle glanced at the woman's face, with its wistful 
sadness, and at the laughing baby beside it. 

" Oh," she exclaimed passionately, " he loved us! 
He must have loved us!" 

The hot tears welled into her eyes as she stooped and 
pressed her lips to the unresponsive ones upon the 
floor. 

" I cannot leave him here alone," she said, " he was 
my father." 

The Russian looked at his watch by the light of the 
candle. 

" Time passes," he said, " it is later than I thought. 
We must not stay here. I will put money in his pocket 
to insure a decent burial." 

' ' No, no, ' ' she interrupted, ' ' that is for me to do. I 
brought him money." 

"As you please," he responded briefly. " Come 
away. ' ' 

But Colonel St. John's daughter lingered, bending to 
kiss the cold forehead and turning on the threshold for 
a last look at the still figure. 

" I am his child," she said, " I did not love him 
but I am his child." 

She followed the Russian down the curved stairway, 
past the silent rooms, and into the lower hall. 



304 THE WIFE OF 

" Where are you going?" she said sharply as he 
turned aside. 

" I am going," he replied, " to investigate the fire- 
place in the kitchen. Will you come?" 

The candle made but a feeble gleam of light in the 
dark cellar, where the dampness hung in drops upon 
walls and ceiling and the floor was slippery to walk 
upon. 

Count Valdmir stooped over the fireplace and exam- 
ined the contents. 

" The fire is laid," he remarked shortly. 

" Be quick," she said imperatively, " do whatever 
you will with them. I cannot stay here. The air 
smothers me." 

The Russian put the candle upon the floor and turned 
to his companion. His face was white and set and the 
hand which placed the candle shook until the grease 
ran down upon it. 

" It is for you to say what I shall do with them," he 
said, ' ' for you to say. ' ' 

" For me?" she repeated, " for me?" 

" I have waited," he said quietly, " for a message 
from the Countess Valdmir. She was to notify me 
when to expect her. I wonder," he advanced a step 
nearer, " I wonder why she is so silent. 

' ' The castles beyond the steppes, ' ' he continued, * ' are 
waiting for their mistress. There are empty rooms ready 
for the touch of a woman's hand, carved stairways 
wearying for the tread of a woman's foot, and marble 
corridors longing for the echo of a woman's voice. 
There is peace, Estelle, safety, happiness, and boundless 
love for you with me, and the castles themselves will 
prove palaces of enchantment for us both." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 305 

" Or prisons of Siberia," she interrupted. 

' ' Love ! ' ' she continued contemptuously. ' ' What do 
you know of love? Passion, perhaps, strange and inex- 
plicable, but not, not love. Love is patient, long-suffer- 
ing, and unselfish; tender, enduring, and wonderfully 
comforting. Oh, I know. My husband loves me, but 
you 

" Count Valdmir, " she continued as he turned ab- 
ruptly away, " I have something to say to you." 

" I am listening." 

Mrs. Redmond, how r ever, seemed to find articulation 
difficult, for she made several ineffectual efforts to speak. 

" Look at me," she said at last, " and tell me what 
you see." 

" I see," he replied slowly, " God's most wonderful 
work, the blessing or the curse of man, a beautiful 
woman. ' ' 

" Yes, a woman," she returned, " beautiful, you call 
her, and the work of God. You are wrong, Count. He 
is not responsible for this woman, although He created 
the child in the image which seemed best to Him. She 
is the result of man's handiwork first a coward and 
then a thief." 

" Estelle!" 

"Is it not true? A coward before your threats and 
stooping even to obey your commands. Does not your 
course resemble blackmail, Count, and is it much more 
creditable than that of my father, from whom you so 
bravely defended me? He wished money for his daily 
needs ; you desired the glory of a masterstroke in the 
world of diplomacy, and I was the most convenient tool 
for you both I. Oh, let us go. I do not know why I 
came down here with you. I am afraid." 

20 



306 THE WIFE OF 

" You came," he interposed gently, " because you 
trusted me because your heart instinctively responds 
to mine. Ah, it is so, Estelle. Do not shrink from me ; 
do not be afraid. Through your life and mine runs an 
undercurrent drawing us irresistibly together. It is 
deep, unfathomable, and very strong. It leads 

" Into darkness," she interrupted, " into a bottomless 
pit of misery." 

" How pale you are, my love, and how your opals 
glow. Is it because the heart beneath them is so restless 
and ill at ease?" 

' ' Restless indeed, ' ' she said, ' ' and very ill at ease. ' ' 

The candle flickered in the draught from the chimney 
and the papers in the fireplace rustled impatiently. 

"It is time to end the farce," she resumed slowly. 
" Take the maps, Count Valdmir; I am powerless to 
prevent it. They are yours, and no doubt you paid 
well for them. But even then your chain is not com- 
plete. I went to my husband's office at your command 
and stole the Roostchook papers the price you set 
upon my happiness. I even started to meet you here 
and give them into your hands, but I lost them, thank 
God! I lost them. No, do not speak; I have more to 
say. 

" I took the synopsis, also, because I wished to pre- 
serve this happiness of mine at any cost, but by degrees 
I saw what I had done. I brought the cloud of dishonor 
to darken the life of the best man in the world, and 
when I realized what that meant to him I determined 
to remove it at any price. I even offered myself in ex- 
change for your ill-gained knowledge. I played with 
you, Count Valdmir, to gain time, as you would have 
done with me had our positions been reversed, and you 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 307 

did not get the synopsis. To-night before I came away 
I put it in my husband's desk where he cannot fail to 
find it, because I did not know what might happen to 
me, and because I have reached a conclusion as to 
what is best for me to do best for him, I mean." 

Count Valdmir made an effort to speak, but she raised 
her hand, commanding silence. 

"And so," she continued, her voice trembling uncon- 
trollably, " because I love the very ground my husband 
walks upon, but seem fated to bring only suffering upon 
him I, who would gladly die for him if it were possible, 
because I am willing to sacrifice myself that his reputa- 
tion may be untarnished, I am going away from him 
forever. But not with you, Count Valdmir. You will 
return alone to the castles beyond the steppes, the pal- 
aces of enchantment, the prisons of Siberia." 

The wind swept around the corner of the house, down 
the chimney, through the old kitchen and into the cellar 
beyond, almost extinguishing the* candle upon the 
hearth. 

" I am cold," she said with a shiver as the papers 
rustled in the fireplace. 

" Those papers, Estelle," he said, " are of inestimable 
value to my country. They contain data which for 
years it has endeavored to procure plans, maps, and 
other information priceless not only in connection with 
the Roostchook matter. Securing them was the greatest 
triumph of my career, and I have accomplished some 
difficult tasks. There they lie, complete, within reach 
of my hand. I have greatly desired them. ' ' 

He paused, the muscles in his throat quivering visibly, 
and a?ain she shivered in her fur-lined cloak. 

' ' I am cold, ' ' she repeated, ' ' cold. ' ' 



308 THE WIFE OF 

" Then, Madame," he returned, picking up the can- 
dle, " permit me to light the fire." 

He bent over the hearth and held the flame to a loose 
corner of the under sheet of paper; it blazed up 
instantly. 

"Ah!" she exclaimed. 

They were all on fire now, and the cellar was alight 
with flickering flames casting bright shadows into the 
darkness eager flames which blazed fiercely as though 
anxious to be done with their task. 

" They burn well," he said, " do they not?" 

She did not reply, and he folded his arms across his 
breast and continued quietly. 

" They are copies, you know. The originals were re- 
turned to the files of tha State Department, or the War 
Department, as the case might be. How they blaze! I 
can see your face distinctly. It is very white, and 
beneath your eyes are purple shadows. You have suf- 
fered, and it is my fault mine and the man's upstairs." 

" Let the dead rest," she interrupted sharply. 

He came a step nearer. 

" So you think I do not love you," he said, " that I 
do not know how to love." 

The light in the hearth died a little, then rose with 
renewed vigor, and across the floor black beetles hurried 
frantically, the heat having disturbed their place of 
residence. 

" Very soon," resumed the Russian, " there will be a 
charred mass in the fireplace, the result of weeks of 
labor. Soon, very soon, we will go. Recently my heart 
blazed as brightly as those papers; like them, it will 
shortly be dead and cold, the result of weeks yes, years 
of longing. 



309 

" I am not very familiar with Bible history," he 
continued, " but is there not a story of a man in hell, 
burning with thirst and seeing almost within his reach 
the water which would give him new life ? He stretches 
out his hand, but he cannot touch it. His throat is 
parched and he trembles with eagerness. It is there 
pure and life-giving, but not for him. He longs, but 
may not attain; struggles, but may not achieve; he 
sees, but may not touch. For him the thirst, burning, 
unquenchable, never to be allayed. Put your cloak about 
you, Estelle Redmond, I am going to take you home." 

She gazed at him with wide, incredulous eyes. 

' ' Back to the house you left with such unwilling feet ; 
back to the life you relinquished with such bitter tears ; 
back to the Secretary of State." 

" Home," she repeated, " home." 

" Love is unselfish, patient, and long-suffering, " he 
said; " you told me so yourself a moment ago, did 
you not?" 

The blaze flickered and died away, leaving a charred 
mass with here and there a glowing spot of red. 

" The fire is out," said Count Valdmir, " let us go." 

In the garden, beneath the curious moon, he paused 
and consulted his watch. 

" One o'clock," he said; " we spent two hours there. 
What arrangement did you make about your carriage ? ' ' 

" It was not to return. I said I would come home 
with Miss Byrd." 

She turned and looked long at the old house, with 
trembling lips. 

" He's there alone," she whispered, " alone." 

"It is best so," he said gently; " believe me, it is 
best." 



310 THE WIFE OF 

" You have been generous," she said brokenly. 

" Three men," he said, " met here in Washington. 
They, and they only, had you cause to fear. It was a 
strange coincidence. Lyndhurst you need no longer 
dread; he is a gentleman and he knows you only as 
Mrs. Kedmond. Your father's lips and mine are sealed 
forever his by death and mine by love. You hold the 
key to the situation, and you only. Let me entreat you 
not to turn it. Only be silent and all is well. Now let 
us go." 

She laid a detaining hand upon his arm. 

" I want to thank you," she said. " I misjudged 
you. I I don't know what to say, Count Valdmir. I 
am stunned by the events of to-night. Some other 
time 

" The love of man for woman," said the Russian 
softly, " passes understanding. Oh Estelle, some time 
you will think of me with pity instead of bitterness. 
Look at me into my eyes." 

Instinctively she obeyed. 

" Blue eyes," he whispered, " meant for happiness, 
but dark to-night with shadows. Red lips ah, they 
should not quiver; they were made for smiles. Do not 
turn away, let me look. It is the last. Have I not re- 
nounced utterly unconditionally ? ' ' 

The wind swept down the alley, through the broken 
wall, and across the moonlit garden. It caught her 
cloak and blew it open, stirring the lace upon her gown 
and touching with icy finger the white breast against 
which a red rose lay faded and dying. 

" Give me the rose," he said, and she held it towards 
him in silence. 

' ' Sometime, ' ' he said quietly, ' ' perhaps I shall dream 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 311 

dreams in the castles beyond the steppes. Who knows? 
Let us go." 



The moon shone into an empty garden and down the 
alley, forming a path of light across the dark bricks. 

It looked again through the broken shutter of the 
Octagon House and into the upper room, and the light 
fell with subdued lustre. For here there was a stillness 
unlike the quiet of the garden; an emptiness, and yet 
a Presence dominant, invisible, and awe-inspiring. 

So the moon shone very softly, fearing to disturb the 
old man upon the floor. 



910 



THE WIFE OF 



XXXII 



Miss JACKSON, on her return from the Treasury De- 
partment one afternoon, inserted her latchkey in Mrs. 
Colson's front-door with a gusty sigh. This sigh was as 
much a matter of habit as the turning of the key, and 
was intended to signify a protest against the act of 
living. When she closed the door, leaving herself inside, 
she repeated it, as a matter of course. 

A number of letters and papers lay on the little hall 
table, and she turned them over curiously, examining 
the address of each with care. Miss Jackson did not 
conduct a voluminous correspondence, but she took an 
interest in her friends', and therefore never failed to 
scrutinize the contents of the hall table. 

A square blue envelope lay at the top of the pile, 
sealed with gold wax and freighted with perfume. It 
suggested the romantic side of life, even as a trades- 
man's envelope beside it proclaimed the prosaic. Miss 
Jackson read the superscription, raised it inquiringly 
to her nose, and again perused the address, as though 
doubting the evidence of her eyes. 

" Well, I never!" she said aloud; " the idea!" 

A door at her right opened a few inches and a beckon- 
ing hand appeared in the aperture. 

" Come in," said Mrs. Colson in a stage whisper, and 
Miss Jackson accepted the invitation. 

" Did you see it?" continued Mrs. Colson eagerly. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 313 

She was engaged in making out her monthly bills, but 
she pushed them aside and hospitably offered her guest 
a seat on the corner of the box couch. 

" He's been here now two years," she continued, 
" and it's the first thing in a woman's writing that 
has ever come for him. It is a woman, don't you think 
so?" 

"'A girl," rejoined Miss Jackson with some asperity, 
" and a foolish one at that. Very black ink, broad stub 
pen, straggling writing sprawling all over the envelope, 
and perfumed to death. Oh, yes, it 's some silly girl. ' ' 

Miss Jackson herself used pale ink, a finely pointed 
pen, and produced the most delicately minute specimens 
of shaded Spencerian handwriting. 

" Dear me," said Mrs. Colson, " I fear you're right, 
Miss Jackson. Do you suppose he is going to be mar- 
ried ? He has been here so long and is so regular in his 
payments, I should dislike to see him a victim to some 
flighty young thing who doesn't know enough to make 
him comfortable." 

" Well," said Miss Jackson thoughtfully, " I don't 
know, Mrs. Colson, but it's very easy to tell. Now, if 
he picks up that letter carelessly and puts it in his 
pocket without looking at it, that's a sure sign he was 
expecting it. But if he seems surprised when he sees 
it and looks at the postmark By the way, what 
was it? I entirely forgot to look. I'm not often so 
careless. ' ' 

" Washington," returned Mrs. Colson definitely, 
" posted at eight-fifty this morning. I looked. Now, 
Miss Jackson, if we set the door ajar we get a good 
view of the table. I think we are justified, under the 
circumstances, don't you?" 



314 THE WIFE OF 

" Oh, by all means," agreed Miss Jackson, her hand 
on the knob. " How is that?" 

"About an inch wider there. Now, you sit in the 
rocker, here is the evening paper. I '11 be busy writing. ' ' 

Several times the front-door opened and closed and 
the pile of letters dwindled perceptibly. 

"Ahem," said Miss Jackson, lowering the paper a 
few inches. 

Mr. Marks carefully put his umbrella in the rack and 
hung up his hat. 

"Always so methodical," murmured Mrs. Colson ap- 
preciatively. 

He then approached the table, glanced without inter- 
est at the few remaining letters, appropriated a copy of 
the Scientific American, and prepared to go upstairs. 
As he turned away, however, the blue envelope with its 
decided black characters caught his eye. Mr. Marks 
hesitated, picked it up gingerly, studied the address in- 
credulously, held it doubtfully before his nose, and 
finally marched resolutely upstairs, the letter held 
lightly between his thumb and finger as though it con- 
tained a dynamite bomb which might explode at any 
moment. 

" He's not engaged," ejaculated Mrs. Colson with a 
sigh of relief, " but there is no telling how soon he 
will be." 

" Well," said Miss Jackson acidly, "it's very evident 
she is taking the initiative. I have my opinion of the 
girl of the period she is unwomanly, that's the best 
I can say for her. Can't you get a little more heat into 
my room, Mrs. Colson? I could see my breath when I 
dressed this morning." 

" I'll do my best, Miss Jackson," returned Mrs. Col- 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 315 

son in tones of suffering forbearance, " but the furnace 
is old and the landlord won't replace it. I'm sure I 
burn coal enough, as my bills would testify. It is a 
hard life, trying to satisfy everybody and not pleasing 
anybody. My father owned a hundred slaves and 
j " 

But Miss Jackson departed for her frosty apartment 
without waiting to hear more. She was familiar with 
the story of Mrs. Colson's inability to adjust her shoe- 
strings before the war and knew the formula by heart. 
Moreover, like many examples of humanity, she was 
verbose in the recital of her own woes and intolerant 
of the trials of others. 

Meanwhile, in the seclusion of his own apartment 
Mr. Marks had opened his letter. He did this carefully, 
inserting a penknife under the flap and running it 
neatly across the top with a clean, clear cut, in the 
most approved manner. If the knife shook a little, no 
one but himself was any the wiser ; nor was it a matter 
of comment to the world at large that he again held the 
envelope beneath his nose, sniffing eagerly, after the 
manner of a dog establishing a trail. 

A long, slow smile of gratified complacency curled 
Mr. Marks 's upper lip as he slowly unfolded his letter. 
It contained but a few lines and was signed " Yours 
distractedly, Christine Gray." 

Mr. Marks returned the note to its envelope, stroked 
the little whiskers upon his jawbone, and meditated. 
The first thing to be done was to answer it, so he laid 
out pen and ink and a sheet of white foolscap paper. 
Then he paused suddenly. Christine had used blue 
paper, small in dimensions and adorned with her mono- 
gram. Evidently blue paper was the proper medium for 



316 THE WIFE OF 

communication between the sexes, and Mr. Marks had 
none. 

He was, however, a man of resources; he would 
borrow from Mrs. Colson. So he again descended the 
stairs. Through the half-open door he saw the lady 
seated before her desk with what appeared to his covet- 
ous eyes as mcuntains of blue paper within reach of her 
hand. He had but to knock or even speak her name 
and his quest was ended. This, however, was not his 
idea of the proprieties of life, so he repaired to the 
doorstep, rang a violent peal at the bell, and shivered 
in the east wind until the maid responded, then in- 
quired for Mrs. Colson and stalked majestically into 
the hall, where he preferred his request with stentorian 
tones and profuse verbiage. 

His need at once supplied, he returned to his room, 
sublimely unconscious that every boarder in the house 
knew he had borrowed blue note-paper and speculated 
with wondering amusement as to the date of the 
wedding. 

Mr. Marks dipped his pen into the ink and wrote 

" Miss GBAY, DEAR MADAM:" 

fluently. Then he paused and, taking up a pencil, made 
several rough draughts on the sheet of foolscap before 
transcribing the following words upon the blue paper: 

" It will be convenient for me to be present at your residence 
at eight o'clock this evening, the 10th instant. 
" Yours composedly, 

" JOHN N. MASKS." 

" ' Composedly,' " he reflected, applying his tongue 
to the mucilage of the envelope, " is the antonym of 
' distractedly.' And I am calm quite calm." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 317 

There were many glances directed at Mr. Marks when 
he appeared at dinner that evening, with every hair 
standing severely upright and the shining expanse of 
his black satin, ready-tied cravat relieved by a chaste 
and elegant gold-plated pin, a dove holding in its 
mouth an olive-branch, from which hung a crystal dew- 
drop, and he found himself the recipient of much 
unusual attention, w T hich he endured with lofty conde- 
scension. 

" Mrs. Colson," he remarked abruptly as he left the 
table, " I would be obliged if you would place a quart 
of milk and some ham sandwiches in my room at ten- 
thirty. By that time I am of the opinion it will be 
necessary for me to eat again." 

" Did you ever!" said Mrs. Colson appealingly. 

" Love," said the old gentleman, with a gruff laugh, 
" affects the present generation strangely. In my day 
it destroyed the appetite; now it appears to produce 
an inward vacuum which is to be filled after a visit to 
the fair inamorata. Ladies ! ladies ! you are respon- 
sible for much." 

And the ladies responded with the customary re- 
frain, 

" Oh General!" 

Mr. Marks walked briskly down the street, occasion- 
ally feeling in his pocket to make sure his letter was 
quite safe. He had no intention of posting it, knowing 
it would not be delivered until next morning, but a 
small book on etiquette he had recently purchased reit- 
erated that a communication from a lady should be 
answered at once. Therefore he had replied imme- 
diately. 

" For Miss Gray," he said, delivering the blue enve- 



318 THE WIFE OF 

lope into the reluctant hand of the boarding-house fac- 
totum who had responded to his ring and turning 
abruptly away from the open door, as though fearing 
he would be called upon to explain his motive. 

On the opposite corner was a drug-store, and there 
he directed his steps to wait until Christine should have 
had sufficient time to prepare to receive him. 

' ' For, ' ' he reflected generously, ' ' no doubt she would 
desire to make some slight changes of apparel, some 
frivolous feminine adornment," and involuntarily his 
hand sought the dove with the dewdrop. 

" I will wait fifteen minutes," he decided, his eyes 
on the drug-store clock. 

But no thought of feminine adornment occurred to 
Christine, who sat dejectedly in her own room with red 
eyes and trembling lips. On the table beside her lay 
a small package addressed to the Hon. Charles Rivers, 
House of Representatives, also a long white envelope, 
soiled and creased with much handling, which she 
glanced at apprehensively from time to time with ex- 
pressive face. 

" Oh Molly," she said, " you might do it for me 
you might." 

But her sister shook her head. 

' ' I must go back now, ' ' she said, rising. ' ' I have been 
gone nearly an hour, and the day nurse will wonder 
what has become of me. You know I took the night 
duty, but he is so much better that to-morrow I shall 
tell the doctor only one nurse is necessary." 

" Yes," said Christine, without interest. " Oh Molly, 
I can't do it! I can't!" 

" It isn't a question of what you want to do, Chris- 
tine," said the older girl gravely, "it's a question of 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 319 

right and wrong. If you gave those papers to Mr. 
Rivers on New Year's Day, and I found them in Mr. 
Leigh's pocket two nights later, why, there is something 
very queer about it, that's all, for Mr. Leigh had been 
ill some days before he was discovered; and then, too, 
they are important, or he wouldn't be muttering about 
them in his delirium. I don't know what the proper 
course would be, but Mr. Redmond is a kind man, I 
have seen enough of him to know that, and he is 
Secretary of State and would undoubtedly know what 
was best." 

" Well," said the younger girl rebelliously, " why 
didn't you give them to him yourself without dragging 
me into it?" 

" Because," said Mary, " I was afraid. You have 
gone your own way lately without regard for me. I had 
seen the papers in your hands; they were heavy with 
your perfume. I did not know what an investigation 
might disclose, for there are things, Christine, which 
I did not even whisper to myself. ' ' 

"Don't," cried Christine sharply, ''don't, Molly! 
It's not so. I have been foolish, that is all." 

" Yes, dear, I know. It's all right it's all over. 
Perhaps Mr. Marks will explain where he got this enve- 
lope. Bring him with you this evening. I will ask 
Mr. Redmond to see you and you must tell him your 
story, just as you told it to me. No one must be 
shielded, you understand?" 

" Oh Molly," cried Christine with a burst of tears, 
" he said he did say he would return the papers to 
the State Department and no one would be any the 
wiser. It seemed such a natural thing for him to do; 
but here they are the hateful things! There must be 



320 THE WIFE OF 

some mistake. Why, he is a Member of Congress, he 
could not stoop to such things." 

Mary's mouth hardened, and she picked up the little 
package contemptuously. 

' ' I will mail it as I go out, ' ' she said slowly. ' ' Were 
you mad, Christine, to accept this necklace and that 
diamond star? Is there anything more?" 

" No," said Christine with a gasp, " one was Christ- 
mas and one New Year's. The flowers I couldn't keep, 
except one of each to press they faded, you know. He 
wanted to marry me, Mary. Don't look at me that 
way!" 

" Did he say so?" 

' ' He said he loved me, ' ' said the girl softly, ' ' and, of 
course, that's what he meant." 

Mary Gray turned abruptly to the window and stood 
a moment in silence. 

" Bathe your eyes, dear," she said gently, " and try 
and control yourself. You wrote to Mr. Marks, as I 
asked you?" 

" Yes, Molly, I didn't say what I wanted. I wish 
Harry was here." 

"And so do I," echoed Mary, with a fervent sigh. " I 
must really go, Christine. Do not be later than nine 
o'clock, the Secretary will have finished dinner by 
then, and ask for me. It's hard, I know, but it will 
soon be over." 

" Molly," said Christine, with something between a 
laugh and a sob, " you were born centuries too late. 
You were intended for a Spartan mother. Good-by. ' ' 

The slipshod servant announced the arrival of Mr. 
Marks and produced his note at the same time she had 
not thought a special trip upstairs necessary to deliver 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 321 

the letter when it was entrusted to her care, nor did 
Christine cast more than a cursory glance at the epistle 
concocted with so much labor. 

" If I must, I must," she said as she went to the 
closet and got her hat and coat. 



" But I assure you," protested Mr. Marks, " I know 
no more of them than you do." 

They were walking slowly through Lafayette Park, 
and he held in his hand the bone of contention in the 
shape of the long envelope. 

" Well," said Christine sharply, " you brought them 
to me yourself, and I consider you responsible for all 
this trouble, with your white hyacinths and ossification 
papers. ' ' 

" Bless my soul," exclaimed Mr. Marks, astonished. 

"I do," she repeated irritably. " Would anybody 
else in the whole world give a package to a girl without 
knowing what was in it, and then say weeks afterwards 
that he had a half -consciousness of picking up some- 
thing in the park one rainy night? It's just ridiculous, 
that's what it is. And what are you going to say to 
the Secretary of State? He'll want more than a half- 
consciousness, I fancy." 

" Really," returned the unhappy youth, " I don't 
know what to say. Why do you insist on going? It is 
a most unpleasant expedition. ' ' 

" We are going," said Christine grimly, " so that 
you may explain to the Secretary all about those 
papers." 

" Miss Gray," said Mr. Marks firmly, " I suggest 
that we do nothing of the sort. Why should your sister 

21 



322 THE WIFE OF 

force us to accede to her views of what is right? Have 
we not independent brains of our own? I came out 
to-night with a definitely established purpose in mind. 
I had decided after much thought to make a proposition 
to you I have long meditated, and have no intention of 
being diverted therefrom for any reason. Let us sit 
down. ' ' 

" It's cold," objected Christine, " and the benches 
are covered with snow. I don 't want to sit down. ' ' 

Mr. Marks, however, steered resolutely for a secluded 
bench which rested upon the shining expanse of a frozen 
puddle. 

" I think this would be a good place to locate," he 
remarked gently, pushing his companion into it and 
seating himself beside her. Their combined weight was 
too much for the thin covering of ice, and the bench 
broke through with an unpleasant splashing of muddy 
water. 

" Oh, dear, oh, dear," wailed Christine, " what a 
sight ! my new coat ! ' ' 

" It is immaterial," returned Mr. Marks loftily. " I 
am about to pay you a high compliment, Miss Gray, and 
should be glad of your undivided attention." 

" Well," said Christine resignedly, " please be quick. 
My feet are freezing." 

Mr. Marks cleared his throat and thrust one hand 
negligently into the breast of his overcoat, after the 
manner of an orator he much admired. 

" The world," he began pompously, " is full of 
women. In some States their preponderance over man 
(according to statistics) is little less than terrifying. 
Woman is the weaker vessel. She is made for man's 
convenience; her lot to walk submissive at his side, 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 323 

performing whatever duties fall in her way, while he 
devotes his God-given brain and ability to achieving his 
ambitions. ' ' 

" Indeed!" interrupted Christine indignantly. 

But Mr. Marks, immersed in rhetoric, did not hear 
her. 

" Sometimes," he continued fluently, " I may say 
frequently, we see unmarried women, which, of course, 
means that no man has looked with favor upon them. 
It is, perhaps, their misfortune rather than their fault. 
But you, Miss Gray, need fear no such catastrophe. 
From the first my eye has been attracted by you, as 
yours, no doubt, has been by me, according to the laws 
of affinity." 

' Upon my word!" began Christine, but he silenced 
her with a wave of his hand. 

" Certain books," he resumed, " which I have re- 
cently consulted tell me that persons of your coloring 
and figure live long and are healthy. Therefore I now 
make you an offer of my hand and heart." 

" What do you mean?" demanded Christine vexedly. 
' You are talking nonsense, Mr. Marks. Let us go on. ' ' 

But Mr. Marks was determined to finish his discourse". 
He felt that he had not expressed himself quite happily, 
and strove to remember the words of his book on eti- 
quette, under the heading, " Proposals of Marriage." 

' Honored lady," he said eloquently, " deign to be 
my wife. I offer you my all myself ' 

Here he paused, a victim to memory and innate hon- 
esty. 

"All except my head," he added humbly. " I have 
bestowed that upon a scientific society, to be dissected 
after my death, but what remains is yours. ' ' 



324 THE WIFE OF 

The electric light shone full on Mr. Marks as he made 
this extraordinary statement, and Christine glanced at 
the face bent eagerly towards her, with its shining spec- 
tacles, its tufts of pale-brown whiskers upon the apex 
of the jawbone, and the curling upper lip, fringed with 
chapped skin, the result of winter winds. 

"I'm sure," she cried with a hysterical laugh, " if I 
had to marry you at all, I'd much rather do it without 
your head than with it." 

Mr. Marks drew back suddenly, as though he had 
received a slap in the face. 

"Am I to understand that you decline?" he said 
slowly. 

Something in his voice caused the girl to look more 
closely at him, and her manner changed. 

" I've hurt you," she said gently. "I'm sorry, but 
I didn't know you really cared, you you never said a 
word about loving, you know." 

"It is quite immaterial," he returned, rising stiffly, 
" let us go on. I will leave you at the door of the Sec- 
retary of State if you persist in holding this unnecessary 
interview, but I firmly decline to accompany you any 
farther." 

Christine grasped his arm, with a sudden realization 
of the ordeal before her. 

" Oh, you mustn't," she gasped, " you mustn't. 
What would I do all by myself?" 

Mr. Marks hesitated visibly. Here was the weaker 
vessel appealing to him for support. 

" If I thought my presence would sustain you," he 
began, unwillingly conscious of the little hand upon his 
arm, "but you have just convinced me you do not wish 
my support. ' ' 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 325 

The pressure of the hand tightened, and Mr. Marks 
saw two troubled brown eyes gazing up at him, eyes 
which brightened as they looked before they were veiled 
by the lowering of white lids. The ghost of a dimple 
played about her cheek and the red lips curled upward 
irresistibly. 

" If you really loved me, you'd go with me," she 
whispered. "I'm afraid, you know." 

Hope sprang up within the bosom of Mr. Marks, and 
the head consecrated to science was bent eagerly over 
the weaker vessel, created for man's convenience, now 
walking submissively by his side with meekly downcast 
eyes. This, indeed, was as it should be. 

" I will attend you, honored Madam," said he, 
quoting again from his little book and not daring to 
trust to original inspirations. " Pray command me. 
Be careful, or you '11 step in the puddle. ' ' 

The last sentence was not a quotation from the treatise 
on etiquette. 



326 THE WIFE OF 



XXXIII 



AFTER strong emotion of any kind comes reaction. 
Estelle Redmond found herself unable to lift her head 
from the pillow the morning following the death of 
Colonel St. John. She was overcome by a lassitude 
impossible to ignore, and could only lie still with closed 
eyes and throbbing temples. 

Again and again she reviewed the events of the pre- 
ceding night. Was it possible it was all over, and she 
herself safe at home, with no sword of Damocles sus- 
pended over her head, no sickening horror of what the 
next minute might disclose? 

The Secretary entered softly and bent over her with 
a few murmured words of anxious sympathy. She 
grasped his hand in both of hers, laying her face against 
it, and drawing much comfort from his presence. 

" Stay with me," she said. " Oh John, never, never 
let me out of your sight again. ' ' 

He laughed and gently pressed his lips to her hot fore- 
head. 

" How tired you would get of the old watch-dog, 
dearest. Lie still and rest. All this trouble and excite- 
ment has been too much for you, as I feared. You 
must countermand your engagements for the day, and 
when I get home from the Department we will spend a 
long, quiet evening together, and have our dinner served 
in your sitting-room, so you need not even trouble to 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 327 

dress. I must go now. You are sure it is only a head- 
ache?" 

The day had worn on slowly, and gradually the 
throbbing in her temples had subsided and the lassitude 
been replaced by a sense of security and great peace. 
She had stood on the brink of an abyss; her feet had 
even touched the crumbling earth about the edges, then 
suddenly the hand relentlessly pushing her forward had 
thrust her back. 

" Sometimes," murmured Estelle, " sometimes God 
in heaven does hear prayers from earth." 

In the afternoon she went into her sitting-room and 
lay upon the couch, very white and still, with shining 
eyes and loosely clasped hands. Upon her desk a vase 
of roses filled the room with their perfume, lifting their 
great heads proudly, but Mrs. Redmond's eyes clouded 
when she observed them and she touched the bell beside 
her. 

" Take them away," she said impatiently when Jose- 
phine appeared, " I hate red roses." 

And the maid had carried them off, greatly wondering. 

To her presently came Isabel Byrd, who hung affec- 
tionately over her with solicitous inquiries and many 
sympathetic touches of her brow and hair Isabel, who 
laughingly begged to be allowed to stay for dinner. 

" Because, Estelle, I am cross to-day and don't want 
to go anywhere to-night, so if you'll keep me just as 
I am 

And Mrs. Redmond, with a little sigh for the tete-a- 
tete dinner and long, quiet evening, had put her arm 
about the girl and urged her to remain. 

" I'll telephone to father to come for me," remarked 
Isabel, removing her hat with alacrity. " He can take 



328 THE WIFE OF 

Aunt Mary to the Lawtons and then slip off here ; he '11 
like that, I know." 

" The Lawtons," said Mrs. Redmond, raising herself 
on her elbow, " the ball of the season why, Isabel!" 

The color rose in Isabel's cheeks and she turned away 
towards the fire. 

" I don't want to go," she said shortly. " Mr. Rivers 
will be there. I don 't want to meet him. ' ' 

"Mr. Rivers," said Estelle thoughtfully, "Mr. 
Rivers oh 

Quite suddenly she remembered the ring Lyndhurst 
had found on the floor of the Octagon House and given 
her for safe-keeping, and which she had forgotten in 
the impending crisis of her own affairs. She said 
nothing to the girl, however, merely telling her to bring 
her low chair close to the couch and be comfortable. 

" Estelle," said Isabel as she obeyed, " you look as 
though you had been ill for weeks, with all your vitality 
wrung out of you. It troubles me to see you. ' ' 

" I've not been myself," returned the older woman 
quietly, " for some time, dear, many many weeks it 
seems to me, but I'm going to get well. Just wait and 
see. And now, Isabel, what shall we talk about ? ' ' 

The girl laid her face on the pillow beside her friend 
and slipped her hand shyly into Mrs. Redmond's. 

" Tell me about Mr. Leigh, Estelle," she whispered, 
" all about finding him and everything, I want to 
know. ' ' 



The Secretary enjoyed the dainty little dinner, served 
at the round table in Mrs. Redmond's sitting-room, with 
his wife on one hand and Isabel Byrd on the other. He 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 329 

noted with pleasure the light which had returned to 
Estelle 's eyes and a spontaneity in her laugh which had 
long been lacking to his sensitive ears, and had re- 
sponded delightedly to her evident desire to be amused, 
even resigning himself to eating much more than he 
wanted that she might be satisfied, for the Secretary's 
appetite had failed perceptibly of late. 

To-night, however, Estelle and Isabel had suggested 
that no servant be in attendance, and had themselves 
selected what he should eat, merely stipulating as a 
return for this attention that he consume it all. Isabel 
had demanded a chafing-dish, boasting of her success in 
the preparation of a certain entree, and the Secretary 
had become absorbed in the concoction of a salad he had 
known in France, the result of which was beyond 
reproach. 

In short, the dinner was a great success, and if Mrs. 
Redmond ate little herself, she managed to conceal the 
fact by lively contributions to the conversation, and fre- 
quent suggestions and criticisms during the preparation 
of the salad and entree. If her eyes sometimes filled 
suddenly and threatened to overflow, they were happy 
tears and hurt no one, and if she now and then laid 
her hand on her husband's with an involuntary tighten- 
ing of the fingers, only the Secretary knew it, and he 
invariably returned the pressure, just by way of showing 
her he understood. 

' ' It has been the nicest dinner I ever had, ' ' exclaimed 
Isabel at its conclusion. " How I wish father had been 
with us." 

So the Secretary retired to the library to smoke his 
cigar, feeling a strange lightening of the load which 
seemed to have settled upon him of late, and dismissed 



330 THE WIFE OF 

affairs of state as much as possible from his thoughts, 
with the optimistic reflection that things might work 
out right after all, while upstairs Mrs. Redmond and 
Isabel drew their chairs before the fire and resumed the 
subject which had engrossed them before dinner. Mrs. 
Redmond's hand lay on the girl's bright hair, and she 
touched it tenderly now and then as she talked. Once 
she paused, and Isabel raised her head impetuously. 

" Go on, Estelle, " she said breathlessly, " go on. In 
his delirium he repeated one name constantly, the nurse 
said. What was it?" 

Mrs. Redmond told her, and the gold-crowned head 
was hidden on her friend's lap. 

Senator Byrd, coming in search of his daughter, and 
the Hon. Joshua Grimes, coming in search of any in- 
formation he could glean regarding David Leigh, met 
on the doorstep and were taken into the library, where 
the Secretary greeted them warmly and provided them 
with chairs and cigars. 

" Only I stipulate," he added, laughing, " that we 
don't touch on public matters. Leigh is out of danger, 
but still very weak. Oh, yes, Grimes, he is here; had 
you not heard? Then I may take the entire credit of 
your visit to myself? That is good. Isabel is upstairs, 
Byrd; she dined with us en famille, and we had an 
uncommonly good time. Mrs. Redmond is a little under 
the weather, but I think she will see you both and later 
we will join them. What is it, James?" 

James approached and said something in a low tone, 
and the Secretary excused himself and withdrew. He 
was absent some time, and the two men drew their chairs 
together and entered into a discussion upon the impend- 
ing crisis. Mr. Grimes related the story of his luncheon 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 331 

with the Member from Virginia and his deduction there- 
from, and Senator Byrd frowned impatiently. 

" Now, Byrd," said the Member from South Dakota 
impressively, " I've been your friend this many a year, 
and you used to place some confidence in my judgment." 

"And do still," interrupted Senator Byrd, smiling. 

' ' Well, I 'm going to try your temper, I reckon, but I 
sha'n't be happy till I free my mind. I think Rivers 
is playing a snide game, for all his nicely parted hair 
and well-creased trousers, and I wish his engagement 
with Isabel was off." 

The Senator hesitated a moment. 

" I hardly know what to think," he said slowly. 
" Rivers has surprised me lately. It is not like him to 
show his hand so plainly unless he is certain of the 
game. He means to be President, you know, and would 
like the Portfolio of State as a stepping-stone, but I 
hardly agree in your opinion; you are not exactly an 
unbiassed judge, you know. As to his engagement with 
Isabel, well, it is off, and, so far as I know, it won't be 
renewed. She will not allow his name mentioned." 

"A fine girl," cried the corpulent Member with much 
satisfaction, " an uncommonly fine girl of great good 
judgment." 

The return of the Secretary prevented further dis- 
cussion of the subject. He held in his hand an envelope 
and his eyes shone with repressed excitement. 

" Gentlemen," he said abruptly, " you are, I know, 
both aware that the Roostchook papers are missing. ' ' 

" Yes," said Senator Byrd. 

" To-night," continued Mr. Redmond, " just now, 
in fact, I received a message that the nurse in charge 
of Leigh wished to speak with me. I found her in the 



332 THE WIFE OF 

drawing-room with a remarkably pretty and very much 
agitated girl, whom she introduced as her sister, and a 
rather peculiar looking young fellow. This girl, with 
much embarrassment, related a most extraordinary story 
and produced this envelope. It contains the Roostchook 
papers. ' ' 

His hearers gazed at him in mute amazement, and he 
continued rapidly : 

" Moreover, these papers were brought into this house 
in Leigh's pocket. Miss Gray, the nurse, saw them and 
recognized them as a package she had seen in the pos- 
session of her sister. She took them to her to make sure, 
and insisted that the girl bring them to me and explain 
how they came into her possession. She did not, of 
course, realize their importance, but she knew they were 
official papers which should be returned to the Depart- 
ment. It is the most extraordinary thing I ever heard 
of. I cannot doubt the sincerity of the girl, but I do 
not know what to think of the man. I should like you 
to hear her story, as it bears a grave implication and I 
should be glad of your advice." 

" By all means," said Senator Byrd gravely, " let 
us hear it." 

" She is very young," said the Secretary, " and very 
frightened, poor child. I think, Byrd, she can hardly 
be as old as Isabel." 

He went into the drawing-room and returned at once, 
preceding Christine and Mr. Marks, the former evi- 
dently suppressing an inclination to run away; the 
latter wearing an air of superior protest against the 
entire proceedings. 

" Miss Gray," said the Secretary gently, drawing 
forward a chair for her, " these are friends of mine, 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 333 

Senator Byrd and Mr. Grimes, and I should like them 
to know the story you just told me. Mr. Marks, gentle- 
men. ' ' 

Mr. Marks looked as though he would have repudiated 
his name had that been possible, and, sitting down upon 
the extreme edge of a chair, fixed his eyes upon the 
ceiling. 

" Mr. Marks," said the Secretary, suppressing a 
smile, ' ' went to call upon Miss Gray one stormy evening 
in December, and very naturally desired to take her 
some flowers. I wish you could remember the date, 
Miss Gray." 

Christine shook her head helplessly; dates were not 
her strong point. Mr. Marks, however, ceased his con- 
templation of the ceiling long enough to produce a 
memorandum-book and turned over its pages with accus- 
tomed fingers. 

" Under date of December 2d," he said briefly, " I 
find three entries, as follows : Changed laundress ; pur- 
chased white hyacinths, fifty cents; called upon Miss 
Gray. I should judge, therefore, that the date was 
December 2d. " 

" Now, Miss Gray," said Mr. Redmond, " please tell 
what followed." 

And Christine unwillingly related how Mr. Marks had 
forgotten to deliver the flowers and they had been sent 
to her room later, accompanied by a package she did 
not open. 

' ' You see, ' ' she said helplessly, ' ' I thought they were 
things he wanted me to read, and I did not feel inter- 
ested in them. Mr. Marks is highly scientific and reads 
all sorts of articles with long words I don't understand, 
for I'm very ignorant. So I put the bundle in my 



334 THE WIFE OF 

bureau drawer, meaning to open it sometime, and forgot 
it. I'm I'm awfully sorry." 

The Senator recognized that tears were not far from 
the girl's voice and felt an inclination to say it was 
of no consequence. Suppose it were Isabel? Mr. 
Grimes, however, was anxious to get at the root of the 
matter. 

" Young man," he said abruptly, " kindly explain 
how those papers came into your possession." 

" I do not know," said Mr. Marks blandly. " The 
evening was inclement, and in passing through Lafay- 
ette Park my hat was forcibly removed from my head 
by the strength of the wind and I was obliged to exer- 
cise speed and ingenuity in its pursuit. The railing 
surrounding the statue of Jackson arrested its flight, 
and I have a sub-consciousness in the lower strata of my 
brain that when I rose to my feet I grasped something 
beside my hat. I know nothing more concerning the 
episode. ' ' 

" Well, see here," said the Member from South 
Dakota, " I reckon you'll have to cultivate those lower 
strata a bit. We want to know more about the matter." 

" Miss Gray," interposed the Secretary, " forgot the 
package until New Year's Day, when she discovered it 
in her bureau-drawer and opened it. She was naturally 
dismayed at its contents and puzzled as to what she 
should do with them. It did not occur to her at the 
time to bring them to me." 

" Well," said Mr. Grimes impatiently, " well, young 
lady, what did you do with them?" 

" I gave them to a friend," she said slowly, " who 
said he would return them to the State Department. I 
thought I was doing what was right." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 335 

" Of course," said Senator Byrd soothingly, " of 
course. And the friend was Mr. Leigh?" 

" No," said the Secretary, " the friend was Mr. 
Rivers." 

Mr. Grimes indulged in a long whistle, and Christine 
turned a lively and painful scarlet even to the tips of 
her ears. 

" Mr. Rivers," said the Secretary gently, " knew 
Miss Gray's father. He was one of his constituents." 

" But," said Senator Byrd after a silence of some 
minutes, " how did the nurse recognize the papers in 
Mr. Leigh's pocket as the ones in her sister's possession 
if they had never been opened?" 

' By a peculiar perfume her sister uses," returned 
the Secretary. 

' ' Yes, ' ' said Christine, feeling it was incumbent upon 
her to speak, " the minute Molly smelled the envelope 
she knew it was the one Mr. Marks gave me." 

' I am sure," interposed Mr. Marks in a tone of 
offended dignity, " my person is permeated by no odor 
which exudes therefrom and penetrates inanimate 
objects." 

' ' No, ' ' cried Christine hysterically, ' ' but mine is ! " 

Then, to the surprise and consternation of the four 
men, she hid her face in her hands and began to cry, 
and Mr. Redmond hastily left the room. 

" Molly," she sobbed, " I want Molly." 

" She wants Molly," said Mr. Grimes, as though 
Molly were a stick of candy. " Yes, of course, Byrd, 
she wants Molly." 

Senator Byrd laid his hand on her shoulder and 
spoke quietly. He understood the ways of girls. 

" Don't cry, my dear," he said gently, " you have 



336 THE WIFE OF 

told us everything we want to know and we are very 
much obliged to you. Is Molly your sister ? I think Mr. 
Redmond has gone to fetch her. Of course, you are 
tired and nervous. It has been quite an ordeal, has it 
not ? My daughter is about your age, and I hardly think 
she could have gone through it as bravely as you." 

But Christine continued to sob until the return of the 
Secretary, accompanied by her sister, who took her 
away, while the three men turned their attention to the 
unhappy Marks, who passed a most miserable hour, but 
succeeded in convincing them he knew absolutely 
nothing more than he had related. 

When Mr. Grimes let himself into the hall of his 
house on Massachusetts Avenue he executed a momen- 
tary pas seul before hanging up his hat. 

' ' Rivers, my friend, ' ' he remarked politely, ' ' I agree 
with you that all evidence in the Roostchook case should 
be placed in the hands of the President." 

Late that evening the Secretary sat in Mrs. Red- 
mond's dressing-room and told her the story of the 
recovered papers. He even drew them from his pocket 
and spread them out before her one by one, gazing at 
them with much of the devouring expression a mother 
bestows on a lost child. And she listened with flushed 
cheeks and glistening eyes, following the narrative 
closely with little gasps of astonishment. 

"I'm glad," she said, " oh, so glad, John." 

" I should be better satisfied," he said, " were it not 
for the complication about Rivers. Of course, the 
papers changed hands again, but it 's a strange case. ' ' 

Mrs. Redmond hesitated. 

" I think, dear," she replied, " that Mr. Rivers vis- 
ited the Octagon House himself." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 337 

Then she told him the history of Isabel's ring, and 
added that she had that evening returned it to the girl, 
who had announced her intention of giving it to her 
father to do with as he thought best. 

The Secretary sat a long time in silence, his wife's 
hand in his. 

" Estelle," he said at last, " you remember the old 
man you asked me to appoint as watchman Saunders, 
I think his name was ? ' ' 

The dark lashes quivered slightly. 

' ' Yes, dear, ' ' she said, ' ' what of him ? ' ' 

" He died last night," said the Secretary; " suicide, 
they think, and, Estelle " 

"Well, dear?" 

" He was discovered by the police in the Octagon 
House when they searched it this morning. It seems he 
was janitor there. I believe he might have thrown some 
light on the subject of Mr. Leigh if we had only known. 
I gave directions that he be decently buried at my 
expense, as he was an employe of the Department, 
but he had considerable money about him. Curious, 
wasn't it?" 



338 THE WIFE OF 



XXXIV 



DAVID LEIGH had turned the corner. He had, hi fact, 
made rapid strides along the road to recovery, so much 
so that he was now permitted to cross the hall into Mrs. 
Redmond's sitting-room every afternoon, where he held 
informal receptions, and received attention enough, he 
said, to turn his head entirely. To which remark Mr. 
Grimes, who happened to be present, returned concisely 
that when a head had so lately been cracked it was well 
to keep it steadily in one position, lest the crack be 
revealed to the world in general. 

David settled himself in the armchair consecrated to 
his use and glanced about expectantly. 

" She's not here," volunteered Mr. Grimes kindly; 
" you're an hour earlier than you were yesterday. Get- 
ting feverish again?" 

Leigh blushed with the consciousness of a girl, and 
the Member from South Dakota laughed in great good- 
humor. 

" Fact is," he said, crossing his legs comfortably, 
' ' I happened in when I knew everybody was out because 
I want to have a talk, if you think you're able. Don't 
mind, do you?" 

" No," said David, " certainly not. I want to talk, 
Mr. Grimes, or, rather, to ask questions, and you know 
they have not let me speak of anything they thought 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 339 

exciting. I'm very grateful for the care, of course, but 
I think I 'm getting tired of being nursed, and there are 
things I must know questions which must be answered 
by somebody." 

Mr. Grimes crossed his short legs as comfortably as 
his rotundity of figure would permit. 

" Fire away, sonny," he remarked genially. " When 
you've finished I've got a few inquiries to make in 
return. ' ' 

" But," said Leigh, hesitating, " it's Department 
matters I want to talk about with the Secretary, or per- 
haps Senator Byrd. You're very kind, Mr. Grimes, 
but " 

Mr. Grimes chuckled with great enjoyment. 

"I'm your man," he said importantly. " I reckon 
that just now I am as well up in the affairs of the nation, 
so far as the State Department is concerned, as the Sec- 
retary himself, and perhaps a little better. Things got 
so muddled I found I'd have to put a finger in the pie 
after all. So trust your Uncle Joshua, Davy, and 
sail in." 

When Mr. Grimes referred to himself as Uncle 
Joshua it was an indication he was well pleased with the 
world, and he applied the title in much the same spirit 
with which he usually referred to his country as Uncle 
Sam. 

" They make a great team," he remarked modestly 
on one occasion, " your Uncle Joshua and your Uncle 
Samuel." 

Leigh rested his head against the back of his chair a 
little languidly. He found himself not quite so ready 
to accept Mr. Grimes 's invitation to sail in as he had 
anticipated. 



340 THE WIFE OF 

" The Secretary told me," lie said slowly, " not to 
worry about the Roostchook matter that it was all 
right. Is this possible?" 

" Yes," returned Mr. Grimes cheerfully, " quite pos- 
sible. Papers turned up intact, villain spotted by your 
humble servant. Great scene for the stage, David. 
Virtue triumphant. Vice vanquished. Red fire. 
Tableau. Curtain." 

" I don't understand," said Leigh, puzzled. " Where 
were the papers found?" 

The Member from South Dakota leaned forward that 
he might watch his companion's face. 

' ' In your coat-pocket, ' ' he said, anticipating an aston- 
ished exclamation. 

But the young man merely nodded impatiently. 

" Oh, if that's all," he said, " a bundle of blank 
papers. I thought you had really found them, and I 
wondered 

He checked himself abruptly. 

" Blank grandmother!" ejaculated Mr. Grimes; 
" they were the real thing, but it's a long story. Now, 
listen carefully, for I don't like to repeat myself, being 
rather short-winded. ' ' 

And David listened with breathless attention as his 
companion rapidly sketched the events of the period 
during which he lay unconscious as a result of contact 
with Colonel St. John's brick." 

" Marks," he interrupted once, " and Miss Christine 
Gray? Why, I know them both. Impossible!" 

' ' No ! Do you, though ? ' ' said Mr. Grimes with inter- 
est. " Well, then, perhaps you'd like my opinion of 
your friend Marks. He is either the deepest double- 
dyed rascal in the country, or he should have a guardian 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 341 

appointed to look after him when he walks abroad. I 've 
not been able to make up my mind which. ' ' 

" He is not a villain," said David, laughing, " I 
would stake my own reputation on that fact, but he is 
well, unusual." 

' ' Unusual ! There he sat, David, and there we sat 
the Secretary of State, a United States Senator, and a 
Member of Congress, a dignified and awe-inspiring as- 
sembly to confront the average youth. Did we faze 
him? Not we! He said he picked up the papers so 
he believed in Lafayette Park; he left them (if his 
memory did not fail him) at the door of Miss Gray's 
boarding-house, why he did not know. That was all. 
We simply hammered at him, but not an inch further 
did we get." 

" Probably," interposed David, " he told you all he 
knew. ' ' 

''Humph!" ejaculated Mr. Grimes. "Well, that's 
all he did tell us. And the Secret Service men set to 
watch him and trace his very thoughts report him of 
unblemished character and can account for every minute 
of his valuable time for months. But to resume." 

And he once more took up the thread of his narrative. 

" Rivers," interrupted David again, " the Member 
from Virginia? The man who " 

" Well," said Mr. Grimes, " why hesitate?" 

" I don't know why I should hesitate, I'm sure. I 
was merely going to ask if it is the man Miss Byrd is to 
marry ? ' ' 

" No," ejaculated Mr. Grimes explosively, "not by 
a long shot. She's going to marry somebody else if I 
know anything about it." 

David turned his face into the shadow. 



342 THE WIFE OF 

" Whom?" he inquired, studiously indifferent. 

Mr. Grimes did not reply. Instead, he screwed up 
one eye in a long, deliberate wink, and resumed his 
story. 

"And so," he concluded seriously, " I went to the 
President myself and laid the whole matter before him. 
He was hard to convince, but I had my proof, only I 
didn't want to drag that little Gray girl into any more 
unpleasantness than necessary. He's a very straight 
fellow at the bottom, the President is, and don't tol- 
erate anything slippery if he knows it, so he sent for 
Rivers. ' ' 

11 Well?" 

" Well, that's all. Rivers is going abroad. His term 
expires this fall, and I understand his district will have 
another Representative next session, as the gentleman 
from Virginia does not mean to run again. ' ' 

" Mr. Grimes," said David thoughtfully. 

" That's me," returned the Member promptly. 

" You've told me about the first paper which disap- 
peared, but how about the last, the synopsis, you know ? ' ' 

' ' The Secretary found it in his desk. ' ' 

" What?" exclaimed Leigh in astonishment. 

Mr. Grimes nodded. 

" In his desk, here at the house," he repeated. " He 
thinks it got caught in the drawer and was overlooked. 
It's queer, very queer." 

Leigh was sitting upright, a bewildered expression 
on his face. 

' ' How did it get there ? " he inquired. 

"Ah," returned his companion, " I don't know. 
What's more, I didn't ask. ' There are more things in 
heaven and earth, ' you know, David, and I 'd no wish to 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 343 

upset another hornets' nest. The main point is that 
they were intact. The Secretary thinks he put them 
there and forgot it and deplores his absentmindedness. 
I think 

" Yes," said Leigh breathlessly, " what do you 
think?" 

" Well," returned the stout gentleman, " since I've 
been quoting Shakespeare, I'll do it again. It's my 
opinion ' there is something rotten in the State of Den- 
mark' as well as the Hon. Charles Rivers of Virginia, 
but I intend not to make or suggest any further inves- 
tigations, and I strongly advise you to follow my ex- 
ample. Now, young man, a few questions on my part. 
What the devil were you doing in the Octagon House 
and who hit you? Out with it, for I don't take much 
stock in your not knowing. ' ' 

Leigh leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes 
wearily; the conversation had been somewhat ex- 
hausting. 

" Mr. Grimes," he said reluctantly, "I'm afraid I've 
been an awful fool." 

" I shouldn't wonder, my boy, young men often are. 
But it's something if you recognize the fact. Let's hear 
about it." 

' ' I believed I knew who took those papers. The night 
of the ball here I discovered, as I thought, a clue. It 
wasn 't much, just a bit of State Department paper with 
a few words on it, but I saw who dropped it. I unfor- 
tunately lost it myself and came back here after every- 
one was gone and made a thorough search. I went over 
every inch of the floor, but it wasn't there. I had 
papers on the brain and wanted to find them the worst 
way, and suddenly remembered the Secretary's desk in 



344 THE WIFE OF 

the library. I thought it possible he might have put 
them there (as you say he did the synopsis), so I even 
looked through it." 

He paused an instant, then continued: 
" Well, they weren't there, so I went home without 
meeting anyone, although I had a curious sensation of 
being watched and followed. The next day the Secre- 
tary went to the White House and brought back the 
synopsis. He was much troubled, and talked the matter 
over with Senator Byrd and Mr. Rivers, who returned 
with him. He put the paper in his desk, but went to 
receive the diplomats without removing the key. Miss 
Byrd came in to meet her father, and I took her to the 
State Department library. We stayed a long time, and 
when I got back the Secretary was just going out to 
lunch with Mrs. Redmond. I found something on the 
floor by the desk which made me anxious. Another clue, 
I thought. 

' ' Well, of course, the next thing was the discovery of 
the loss of the synopsis. I worried a good deal over it, 
and determined to go through the Secretary's private 
desk myself, thinking it might have caught somewhere, 
for it wasn't a bulky document, like the other. 

" The night after Christmas I felt out of sorts with 
the world and didn't want to go anywhere or do any- 
thing, so I started for the Department to get up some 
back work. While I was there I happened to think of 
looking up the paper. I had a key which Mr. Redmond 
had once given me, and I made a thorough search, but 
the paper was not to be found. It was late when I 
left- 
Leigh paused and endeavored to collect his thoughts. 
"Just why I turned up New York Avenue I don't 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 345 

know. I suppose I was absorbed in thought, for I had 
been making notes on some important matters to bring 
to the attention of the Secretary in the morning and had 
put some loose bits of paper in my pocket, intending to 
elaborate them when I got home, for I wasn't sleepy. 

" Well, I suddenly discovered I was going the wrong 
way and turned down an alley as a short cut home. It 
ran back of the Octagon House and was dark and lonely 
enough, with the high brick wall and vacant old house, 
and I had some idea of going back, although I had 
often used it before as a short cut. However, I kept 
on until I got opposite a break in the wall, when some- 
thing curiosity, I suppose made me stop and look 
through. ' ' 

' ' Well ? ' ' inquired Mr. Grimes with interest. 

" Well," said Leigh simply, " that's all. The next 
thing I knew I was here, awfully light-headed and 
queer-feeling, with Miss Mary Gray nursing me and 
everybody wonderfully kind, Mrs. Redmond sitting with 
me, Miss Byrd sending me flowers, the Secretary acting 
as though I were his own son, and you, Mr. Grimes, 
coming to see me every day and even keeping my room 
and belongings at the boarding-house undisturbed. I 
don't know how to thank you." 

But Mr. Grimes was looking in his card-case and did 
not reply. 

" Was the scrap of paper you found and lost again 
at the ball anything like this ? " he demanded, producing 
a dingy bit with a few words upon it. 

' That is it!" said David eagerly. " Where did you 
get it?" 

' Picked it up myself," returned Mr. Grimes, tossing 
it into the fire, " and I think that's the best place for it. 



346 THE WIFE OF 

Of course, the scrap Rivers found in the Octagon House 
was part of your notes and dropped from your pocket. ' ' 

The round, red face of the Member from South Dakota 
was very serious as he watched the bit of tri-colored 
cord blaze and blacken in the hearth. 

" David," he said slowly, " whom did you suspect?" 

Leigh crimsoned and turned his face into the shadow. 

" You won't say? Well, it's all right. Only under- 
stand clearly that the incident is closed irrevocably, and 
remember that circumstantial evidence is often mislead- 
ing. You came perilously near being charged with a 
serious crime, and I realize you were in a mighty tight 
box, but you're well out of it, after all. The old chap 
found dead in the Octagon House I take to be respon- 
sible for your cracked skull, but he isn't going to make 
any explanations, and so, David, I propose the subject 
of the Roostchook papers be tabooed in future. Talking 
will do no good, so we'll drop the subject." 

" I've been a fool, that's all," said Leigh quietly, 
"and I'm glad of it." 

A rustle of skirts became apparent in the hall, and 
Mr. Grimes rose with alacrity. 

" I guess you don't need me any more," he remarked 
cheerfully, " for there are Mrs. Redmond and Miss 
Byrd, and if that is not enough for one fellow, I don't 
know what is. ' ' 

But it was only Isabel who entered as the Congress- 
man went out her cheeks glowing with the cold air 
and her eyes shining with a soft brightness Leigh thought 
pleasant to look upon. 

She told him various little items of news she thought 
would interest him, and finally lapsed into silence as the 
daylight waned and shadows filled the room. 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 347 

Leigh looked at the bright hair, with the firelight 
playing over it, and at the curve of the cheek, against 
which the dark lashes rested. 

" Isabel," he whispered. 

Her color faded, then suddenly returned, dying her 
face with the tint of a wild-rose. David forgot he was 
merely an impecunious private secretary and she the 
daughter of Senator Byrd as he leaned forward and 
caught her hands. The memory of their relative posi- 
tions, however, leaped obnoxiously to the fore and 
checked the words trembling upon his lips, so he released 
the little hands and sank back in his chair, suddenly 
weak and exhausted. 

Isabel looked anxiously at the pale face and closed 
eyes, then her lips curved with the ghost of a smile and 
the dimple in her cheek showed a decided inclination to 
appear. She left her low divan and seated herself upon 
the arm of his large chair, her lips close to his ear. 

" David," she whispered softly, "I'm waiting 
go on.' 1 



348 THE WIFE OF 



XXXV 



THE Secretary stood in his library holding in his hand 
a sheet of paper, as he had previously held the draught of 
his resignation. 

To-day, however, there was an erectness in his attitude 
very different from the air of general depression which 
had marked the former occasion. Two chairs sociably 
drawn together before the fire indicated that he had 
recently entertained a visitor, and an indescribable some- 
thing about them suggested that the guest had been 
welcome. 

Now, however, judging from his expectant glances at 
the clock and out of the window, he expected someone 
else. 

" How long she stays!" he exclaimed impatiently. 
"Ah, at last!" 

For the front door had opened and shut and he heard 
Mrs. Redmond's voice in the hall. 

" Suppose you look in on Mr. Leigh in my sitting- 
room, Isabel," she was saying; " I will join you 
shortly." 

The Secretary drew aside the heavy portiere and held 
out his hand. 

" I Ve been watching for you, ' ' he said ; ' ' you prom- 
ised to be home early, you know." 

" Yes," she assented, " and now I want to tell you 



349 

about my afternoon. There is something I want to do 
very, very much. ' ' 

"And I too have something to tell you," he said. 
' ' Come to the fire ; you must be cold. ' ' 

Mrs. Redmond paused in the act of removing her 
heavy furs and looked curiously at him. 

" Something has happened," she exclaimed suddenly, 
" something nice. You have had a visitor. Oh John, 
tell me!" 

" Yes, dear, a visitor the President. Don't look so 
startled, he used to come sometimes, you know." 

" But not lately," she replied, " not since " 

" Listen," he continued. " This morning I sent in 
my resignation. I owed it to myself to do so even 
though the missing papers have all been found. ' ' 

" I don't care a bit now," she interrupted, " for 
there could be no stigma attached to your name. 
Well?" 

" Well, Estelle, as I said, I sent it in this morning, 
and this afternoon the President brought it here and 
asked me to withdraw it as a personal favor to himself. ' ' 

"And you," she said, " what did you say to him?" 

" I said," returned the Secretary, " that I only 
wished to serve my country honestly, and that some- 
times such service was best rendered by withdrawal from 
public office when age or ill-health had in any way 
impaired the faculties." 

"And he?" 

" He said all sorts of kind things, dear, and was very 
complimentary. He apologized for his attitude during 
this trouble and said he had been much worried, and 
facts falsely represented to him. He was genuinely 
anxious that I should remain, and so I agreed to do so. 



350 THE WIFE OF 

There will be no official record of my resignation. He 
left it here with me, and I shall destroy the copy in the 
files of the State Department. I thought 

The Secretary paused and smiled. 

"Well, John?" 

" I thought, Estelle, that perhaps you would enjoy 
burning it. You seemed to take the matter very much 
to heart the other day. ' ' 

" Oh, I should," she exclaimed quickly, " give it to 
me at once ! ' ' 

The Secretary seated himself upon the couch and 
drew his wife down beside him. The sheet of paper 
burned brightly, then charred and crumbled, and Mrs. 
Kedmond, watching it, remembered, with a tightening 
of the throat, the cellar of the Octagon House and the 
blaze of the burning maps. Fire was merciful at times 
as well as terrible, she thought. 

"And now," said Mr. Redmond cheerfully, " I've 
told you my news, what is yours ? ' ' 

" It isn't news exactly. I went to see Miss Gray this 
afternoon. Her pretty little sister is going to be 
married. ' ' 

" Indeed," exclaimed the Secretary, " I am heartily 
glad to hear it!" 

"And I thought," continued Mrs. Redmond, her eyes 
upon the plain gold band on her left hand, " I thought, 
John, I should like to help her. They are two girls alone 
in the world without money, and it's such a dreary 
boarding-house. You don't mind?" 

' ' Did you think I would object ? ' ' 

" Oh, I knew you wouldn't, but I wanted to talk to 
you about it, of course. I should like her to have a nice 
little wedding and some pretty clothes, such as every 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 351 

girl longs for and should have when she marries. She 
brought us back those papers, you know, and I feel we 
owe her a tremendous debt of gratitude at least, I do. " 

" Is Marks the happy man?" inquired Mr. Kedmond, 
laughing. 

' His name is Harry, and his regiment is in Alaska 
that is all I know about him, John. But it's immaterial. 
He gets a leave next month and can come on, and I mean 
he shall find Christine daintily fitted out, with pretty 
things, dear, as well as useful. I 'm extravagant, you 
know, and I do love clothes so does she, poor child. 
So when Harry comes we will have a nice little wedding 
here in this house, and you'll give the bride away. Do 
you agree?" 

The Secretary held his wife closer and kissed her 
forehead. 

" It 's like you to think of it, Estelle, ' ' he said fondly ; 
' ' of course I agree. And speaking of brides, ' ' he added, 
" I wonder how the young people upstairs are coming 
on?" 

The yfamg people were getting on extremely well up- 
stairs, although their conversation was of a disjointed 
and fragmentary character incapable of being properly 
recorded, and the disorder of Isabel's red-gold hair was 
more apparent than usual. 

' It glitters," said David, carefully transferring a 

strand from his coat to his card-case, " like spun gold." 

' I should think," said Isabel with an attempt at a 

frown, " you might have asked for a lock of it by this 

time, but perhaps you don't want it." 

The last words were muffled, owing to a temporary 
eclipse of two heads by the back of one chair. 

" By the way," she said suddenly, drawing away from 



352 THE WIFE OF 

him, " by the way, David, there's something I want to 
know. Why did you take those papers?" 

" What papers?" 

" The blank bundle labelled ' Roostchook' from our 
library table. I saw you put them in your pocket. ' ' 

" Some valuable papers were missing from the De- 
partment on that subject," he said slowly, " and I 
thought perhaps I had found them, so put them in my 
pocket on the impulse of the moment, meaning to return 
them to the Secretary or your father. When I found 
they were blanks I said no more about it, but I never 
understood ' ' 

He paused abruptly. 

" I do," returned Isabel sagely. " Oh, I'm wiser 
than you think. Mr. Rivers " 

" Hateful name," interposed Leigh quickly. 

" We will call him the Unmentionable, if you like it 
any better. Well, anyhow, he knew you were coming 
and put that package there to see if you would take it. 
He was trying to prove you guilty of something, David, 
I don't just understand what, but you fell into the trap 
like a blind bat and put it in your pocket. I thought I 
should have died when I saw you do it." 

Leigh stared at her incredulously. 

"And does your father think I stole that package of 
papers believing them genuine, and kept quiet about 
it?" he said. 

" No," returned Isabel, with a shake of the head, 
" he doesn't think anything of the kind, for I fixed up 
another package and father and the Unmentionable 
found it. But 7 thought you took it, David, and I was 
very miserable so miserable that I got engaged." 

" But how you must have despised me." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 353 

" No, I didn't," she interrupted; " I tried to, but I 
couldn't, so I despised myself for not being able to 
despise you. He the Unmentionable said all sorts of 
nasty things about you and what he meant should hap- 
pen to you, so I stole out that evening to tell you about 
it, and to ask you not to do it again, whatever it was 
you did do and it was nothing, after all, was it?" 

" No, Isabel," returned Leigh anxiously, " I've done 
nothing I am ashamed of. But you said you went to see 
me. When was it, and where did you go ? " 

" It was one Thursday," she said, " and I went to 
your lodging, but just as I got nearly there you came 
out the door and went down the street. I tried to over- 
take you, but you walked too fast for me. You went 
to the old part of the city and I kept on following, even 
down a horrid, muddy alley, and it was raining and 
very dark. In the alley I lost you, but I thought I saw 
you go through a hole in the wall, so I kept on. I really 
think then I was afraid to go back. The place turned 
out to be the Octagon House, and I was so relieved when 
I knew where I was that I thought I 'd just run through 
it and out on Eighteenth Street, on the other side, you 
know, so I need not go back by way of the alley." 

" But," interrupted Leigh, " I never went to the 
Octagon House until the night my friend hit me with 
the brick and carried me in." 

" Oh, I know. That was the awful part. It wasn't 
you at all, David. It was put your ear very close 
Count Valdmir. He went into a room with a light in it 
and an old man met him. I was very frightened and 
hid in a little place off the dining-room, with a secret 
door you know. They talked a long time, and the old 
man seemed afraid of him, but I couldn't distinguish 

23 



354 THE WIFE OF 

what they said. I tried to get out of the window on 
Eighteenth Street, but it wouldn't budge, and I caught 
my hair on the rough wood and tore my dress. My 
heart beat so I thought they must hear it. By and by 
Count Valdmir left and I took the opportunity to rush 
through the hall out into the garden again; even the 
alley was better than that awful house. I got wet 
coming home and was late for dinner, and Mr. Lynd- 
hurst kept asking me inconvenient questions. It was 
dreadful. But where did you go, David ? ' ' 

" I sometimes use that alley as a short cut from street 
to street, ' ' he replied, ' ' and have a recollection of doing 
so one Thursday evening when I went into that part of 
the city on an errand to one of the clerks in the State 
Department. I had an engagement later and must have 
taken the shortest way of getting there, and in the dark- 
ness you lost me. But, oh, Isabel, when I think that 
you did it for me, and what might have happened " 

The remainder of the sentence was unintelligible, but 
seemed satisfactory. 

' ' I wonder, ' ' he said after a long silence, ' ' what your 
aunt and father will think." 

" Oh," responded Miss Byrd with an air of easy 
assurance, ' ' Aunt Mary doesn 't matter and father thinks 
as I do on such subjects." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 355 



XXXVI 



THE last door slammed, and the last carriage rolled 
away. Sleepy servants thankfully began to set the 
house to rights, for the Secretary and Mrs. Redmond 
had entertained the President and members of the Cabi- 
net at dinner and the guests had at last departed. Mrs. 
Redmond looked at her husband and smiled. 

" Well, it's over," she remarked. " I never enjoyed 
a Cabinet dinner so much before. And the season is 
over too. I am not sorry. ' ' 

" Tired?" questioned the Secretary. " Come with 
me into the library. I must smoke my cigar, and I'd 
like your society to improve the flavor." 

"A speech worthy Monsieur du Pre himself," she re- 
turned as they entered the library. " "What a famous 
fire." 

" How the diplomatic world changes," remarked the 
Secretary, striking a match. ' ' Valdmir gone, and Lynd- 
hurst going. I fancy the latter was rather hard hit by 
Isabel ; he tells me he intends to give up diplomacy and 
settle down into an English squire. I hope he may find 
some nice girl at home waiting for him." 

' I hope so too, John. Mr. Lyndhurst is every inch 
a gentleman as well as a nobleman. He could not soil 
his hands with anything unworthy of him." 

' Why should he ? " inquired the Secretary, surprised. 

She did not reply, but her face grew very thoughtful 



356 THE WIFE OF 

as she gazed into the fire, and the Secretary felt the hand 
in his grow suddenly cold. 

" Now Valdmir," he continued, gently chafing the 
cold hand, " was very different. In spite of his polish 
and brilliancy, I never liked him. Wonderfully clever 
fellow, though, Estelle. But there was a hardness about 
him quite repellent to me and I believe him to be un- 
scrupulous and without mercy. Heaven help the 
woman, for instance, who was in his power." 

For a moment she did not reply. The handsome 
library, lined with richly bound volumes, some of them 
almost priceless, had vanished, and she was again in the 
Octagon House with Count Valdmir, they two alone in 
the great dark cellar with only the dead man above to 
keep watch. 

" I am cold," she had said. 

" Then, Madame," he had responded, " we will light 
the fire." 

She remembered the lifting of the candle and the 
flickering of the flame in the draught from the chimney. 
Also the mass of ashes upon the hearth after the maps 
were burned. ' ' 

" You are not just to Count Valdmir, dear," she said 
gently. " I know of one woman to whom he was both 
merciful and generous." 

" Well," he insisted, laughing, "I'm glad to hear it, 
but I'm willing to wager she was the exception and not 
the rule." 

" Turn off the lights," she said, " I want just the 
fire. That's light enough for confidences, isn't it, 
John?" 

" How dull your opals are to-night," remarked Mr. 
Redmond as he complied, " they scarcely glow at all." 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 357 

He lifted the jewel at her throat and looked curiously 
at it as she drew a footstool to his chair and leaned her 
head against his knee. 

" John," she said after a long silence, " of what are 
you thinking?" 

" Of you, dear, and of the completeness of our life 
together. It is so wonderfully satisfying." 

A scarlet flame played about the opal for an instant, 
then faded, and the stone hung cold and colorless. 

" I read somewhere," she said slowly, " that between 
a man and wife should be perfect confidence ; that there 
should be no reservations one from another; that with- 
out such confidence real happiness was impossible and 
love could not endure. Do you believe this, John ? ' ' 

The Secretary watched the smoke of his cigar fade 
into space. 

"It is the generally accepted theory, Estelle," he 
said quietly, " but, as you know, I do not believe in it. 
Between a man and woman in fact, between any two 
human beings real happiness is impossible without 
some reservation. Too close an intimacy brings with 
it carelessness and contempt. In my opinion, a man 
has no more right to raise the curtain from his wife's 
silence than he has to enter her dressing-room unin- 
vited." 

" You really think so?" 

' ' I know it, Estelle. Endless misery is brought about 
and useless suffering inflicted upon the innocent by mis- 
taken ideas of duty hysterical so-called confessions, 
which open wounds about to heal, leaving ugly, ever- 
present scars to mark the place. It's my hobby, you 
know. Why did you get me started on it?" 

" Sometimes," she said, " quite often, John, I think 



358 THE WIFE OF 

it would be better if I told you more about my early life. 
You take me too much on trust. ' ' 

11 Love brings with it faith, dearest. The book of the 
past is closed forever. I do not wish you to open it 
for me." 

" But," she persisted, " once I did you a great in- 
jury. I would die for you, gladly, but I nearly wrecked 
your life and mine." 

He laid his hand gently upon her lips. 

' ' Hush, dear, ' ' he said, ' ' you don 't know what you 're 
saying. "Whatever it was, whatever you imagine you 
have done, don't tell me. I do not want to know. 
Only one thing matters. Do you love me still, Estelle 
it isn't that? Let me look into your eyes." 

The fire flamed brilliantly as he bent over her. The 
dark lashes, heavy with tears, were slowly raised, and 
the Secretary gazed through the clear blue eyes into the 
heart of the woman he had married. 



The log charred and fell apart. 

" Estelle," he exclaimed, " I believe you are asleep.'* 

" No," she returned gently, " only very, very happy, 
John ; that is why I was quiet. ' ' 

" We have been sitting here an unconscionable time," 
he said, rising. " I don't know what I was thinking 
about to let you do it. I suppose I must have been 
happy too, eh, Mrs. Redmond?" 

He turned on the lights as he spoke and paused in 
astonishment. 

"Estelle," he ejaculated, "look at your opals! 
.What can have happened to them ? ' ' 

The jewels were cold and lifeless, without color or fire, 



THE SECRETARY OF STATE 359 

and crossed by a network of innumerable tiny cracks. 
She slowly removed the necklace and girdle and took 
the crescent from her hair. The diamonds flashed as 
brilliantly as ever, but the opals were worthless bits of 
broken stone. 

As she gazed incredulously at them she remembered 
the history of the Khedive's opals as related by Count 
Valdmir, and her lips parted in a tremulous smile. 

" Extraordinary!" said the Secretary, examining the 
pendant close to the light. 

" I think," said Mrs. Redmond softly, "I am too 
happy to wear opals, John." 

" I'll take them to a jeweller," he responded, " and 
see what can be done, but I think you will never wear 
them again. Such wonderful stones too ! Well, Estelle, 
let us have a glass of wine. We need it after this last 
shock. Come, I insist, for you must be very tired." 

She followed him to the dining-room and held the 
sparkling glass thoughtfully. 

" The last of the season," she said; " even the opals 
are ended. It's over all over. Now, John," she 
raised her glass, " here's to the best man in the whole 
world the Secretary of State." 

The Secretary smiled and touched her glass with his. 

" First," he said fondly, " to the wife of the Secre- 
tary of State." 



THE END 



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"The finished style and unforgettable 
story, the living characters, and compact 
tale of the new book show it to be a work 
on which care and time have been ex- 
pended. 

"Much more dramatic than her first 
novel, it possesses in common with it a 
story of deep and terrible human inter- 
est." Chicago Tribune. 



J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY, PHILADELPHIA 



OLIVE LATHAM 

By E. L. VOYNICH 

Author of "Jack Raymond" and " The Gadfly." Cloth, $1.50 

" The author's knowledge of this matter has been pain- 
fully personal. Her husband, a Polish political refugee, 
at the age of twenty-two, vas arrested and thrown into 
a vile Russian prison without trial, and spent five years 
of his life thereafter in Siberian exile, escaping in 1890 
and fleeing to England. Throughout ' Olive Latham' 
you get the impression that it is a veritable record of what 
one woman went through for love. . . . This painful, 
poignant, powerfully-written story permits one full insight 
into the cruel workings of Russian justice and its effects 
upon the nature of a well-poised Englishwoman. Olive 
comes out of the Russian hell alive, and lives to know 
what happiness is again, but the horror of those days in 
St. Petersburg, the remembrance of the inhumanity which 
killed her lover never leaves her. ... It rings true. 
It is a grewsome study of Russian treatment of political 
offenders. Its theme is not objectionable a criticism 
which has been brought against other books of Mrs. 
Voynich's." Chicago Record-Herald. 

" So vividly are the coming events made to cast their 
shadows before, that long before the half-way point is 
reached the reader knows that Volodya's doom is near at 
hand, and that the chief interest of the story lies not with 
him, but with the girl, and more specifically with the 
curious mental disorders which her long ordeal brings 
upon her. It is seldom that an author has succeeded in 
depicting with such grim horror the sufferings of a mind 
that feels itse'f slipping over the brink of sanity, and 
clutches desperately at shadows in the effort to drag itself 
back." New York Globe. 



J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY, PHILADELPHIA. 



THE ISSUE 

By GEORGE MORGAN 

Illustrated. Cloth, $1.50 




"Will stand prom- 
inently forth as the 
strongest book that 
the season has given 
us. The novel is a 
brilliant one, and 
will command wide 
attention. ' ' Phila- 
delphia Public Led- 
ger. 

" The love story 
running through the 
book is very tender 
and sweet." St. 
Paul Despatch. 

" Po, a sweet, lov- 
able heroine." 
The Milwaukee 
Sentinel. 

' ' Such novels as 
' The Issue ' are rare 
upon any theme. It 
is a work that must 
have cost tremen- 
dous toil, a master- 
piece. It is superior 
to 'The Crisis." " 
Pitlsburg Gazette. 

" The best novel 
of the Civil War 
that we have had." 
Baltimore Sun. 



J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY, PHILADELPHIA. 



At the Time Appointed 

By A. MAYNARD BARBOUR 

Colored Frontispiece by March&nd - Postpaid, $1-50 

The Washington Post. 

"A good mystery that stimulates the imagination and 
excites the deepest interest." 

Doylestown Intelligencer. 

" A volume that once started will be read through to the 
the end. It has thrills galore, unexpected situations, 
mysteries enough in fact, it's the real thing." 

St. Paul Dispatch. 

" A study in character, and a very unusual, original 
love story." 

Pittsburg Dispatch. 

"A stirring and dramatic love story." 

By same Author 

That Mainwaring Affair 

Illustrated. Postpaid, $1.50 

New York Life. 

" Possibly in a detective story the main object is to thrill. 
If so, ' That Mainwaring Affair' is all right. The thrill 
is there, full measure, pressed down and running over." 

New York Town Topics. 

" The book that reminds one of Anna Katherine Green 
in her palmiest days. . . . Keeps the reader on the 
alert, defies the efforts of those who read backwards, 
deserves the applause of all who like mystery." 

Denver News. 

"The reader will be a good guesser, indeed, if he solves 
this mystery before the author does it for him. A pleas- 
ant love interest runs through the pages." 

Publishers ; J. B. LipplACOtt Company : Philadelphia 



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